Run To You
by LoverofLove
Summary: What would you do if you were holding back the one you loved from living their life? If you were so far gone in your own misery, would you let them go even if it made it seem like your love for them was gone? Could you ever get forgiveness in the end?
1. Run To You

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

_**Run To You**_

_By Loveroflove_

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

**A/N:** I hope you don't get pissed that I did this instead of another chapter of _Keep Holding On_. Anyways, this is yet again another IchiRuki story. And of course it is! It's also an AU story as well. I'm not really going to tell you much about it. I'll just let you make your own assumptions after the first chapter. I hope you learn to enjoy this like my others.

For those of you that have never read one of my stories, each chapter is named after a song and I put the actual lyrics into the chapter. When you see them, I suggest you either read them, but I prefer you actually listen to the song as you read that section. Find it on youtube or whatever. The song for this chapter is the title of the story, so keep that in mind. It's "Run to You," by The Rocket Summer. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Idea is mine. Characters – not so much.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 1: Run to You_

-When is the last time you walked outside, closed your eyes and took a deep breath? In that single moment, you're mind is filled with tranquility. You forget about your present worries or your anticipations. You let the wind drift across your face and through your hair and in that instant, your life is broken down to one thing; that one thing that means the most to you. It could be your dog, Baxter, your brother Sean, or your friend Sarah that you've known since the eighth grade. This particular thing could change at any point in time, but when you pass that certain moment in your life, you'll find that there will only be one thing that you will always hold up above the rest.-

* * *

She sat down on the summer green grass and looked out onto the lake that sparkled from the sun. It was her only spot she could go to escape. At the age of twenty-one she had already had three novels on the Best Seller's List. All three were in the top ten and her first story was recently adapted into a movie that her close friends, Renji, Ishida and Momo starred in.

She always had devotion for writing, but she finally decided that's what she wanted to do with the rest of her life during high school. Her friend had stolen a short story from her private journal and submitted it in a contest one day. She didn't even know until her name was announced as being the winner. Ever since then, the school newspaper continually asked for her input and eventually she even wrote a play for the drama club to bring to life.

Ever since her first novel, her name has been well-known. And ever since her second one, so has her face. As soon as the second novel was released, the public discovered that not only was she a passionate and adored writer, she was also a young and attractive woman. This news was soon spread with pictures all over the covers of magazines and miscellaneous videos, such as her grocery shopping, being played all over television.

She was incredibly thankful that there were still many who did not recognize her face, which allowed her to have _some _moments to herself. Although it did make it quite difficult when she dated Shuuhei Hisagi; one of the most heart throbbing actors in the business. They had broken it off about two months earlier after realizing that they had grown apart and it was best just to stay friends.

Now that she was back on the market, the media continually asked the same question, "Are you seeing anyone new, Rukia?" or some variation of the question. It had been incredibly hard for her to get started on her next novel with all the attention.

She looked down to her lap and saw she had only written down about ten words and she couldn't seem to chip away at that block in her mind. She huffed loudly and flew into a laying position with her hands resting behind her head. She watched the clouds drift by in the beautiful blue sky and without any warning, her eyes began to flutter shut and she was then lost into a dream she could have never anticipated…

* * *

"What do you want from me, Kaien? I told you I had to do it. Why the hell do you keep hounding me on it?!" he yelled into his cell phone as he continued to drive his beautiful silver Mercedes McLaren.

"Hey! Relax little bro! I'm just looking out for ya. You are one of the most popular musicians of the century and you decided to go on _a little break_ in the prime of your career. I just don't see the _necessity_ in doing it!" he yelled back in defense. He was sitting in his office with his feet propped up on his desk.

"Well that's just it. You don't have to see the _necessity_. I needed it – that's that. Just stop complaining. I'm on my way back anyway. The new album should make up for the time I missed. Plus, no one knows of my comeback tonight. Should be exciting," he said with a smile.

There was a moment of silence until Kaien finally spoke up, "Hey, I'm glad you're coming back, Ichigo. I haven't seen your face in so long."

"Oh god, don't get all feminine on me now."

"What? Can't a guy tell his own brother how much he's missed him?" Kaien played defensive with a joking attitude.

"Yeah, yeah. I missed ya too. I'll see ya soon," Ichigo shook his head with a smile on his face and shut his phone.

He saw the familiar scenery go by as he passed. "Some things never change," he said to himself as he pulled into a driveway.

* * *

"_What do you want from me? Can you tell me for once instead of dancing around it and assuming that I already know?! Because let me tell you something, I don't know! I can't figure this kind of shit out, Rukia!" he yelled pulling at his hair._

"_What do I want? What do __**I**__ want?! How do you __**not**__ know?!_ _Are you really that blind?!" she yelled with tears streaming down her face, but she was still yelling strong and staring him dead in the eyes._

"_Damn it, Rukia! Just tell me! Tell me!" he begged with his hands now placed on the sides of her shoulders._

_She brought her hands to his chest and gripped his thin black t-shirt into her fists as she bent her head down to the floor. "You can't keep doing this to me. If you're going to keep leaving… stop coming back." She was silent for a moment, "You've changed so much…"_

"_Rukia…" he said softly, and she knew he still did not understand. "Please tell me."_

_She looked up into his eyes and saw that they were filled with water that was about to flood. She then spoke softly. "I want you to love me again."_

Rukia's eyes opened quickly. She looked around as she remained laying down. After realizing where she was, she sat up and rested her head into her hands. "I can't believe it's still haunting me," she said and then was surprised to feel a lone tear travel down her cheek. She wiped it away hesitantly. She frowned for a moment and then took a glance down at her watch.

"Oh my god! Shit! Shit! Shit!" she yelled getting up and grabbing her notebook.

* * *

"So how many times do you think they're going to ask you if you're seeing anyone? Or how many times do you think they're going to ask if you're seeing Renji?" a female laughed on the phone.

"Haha. Very funny. How many times do you think they're going to ask if you and Toushirou are engaged yet, Momo?" Rukia responded with a smirk.

"Touché, Kuchiki," she stated flatly. "Oh! He's already here! I guess I'll see you there, huh?"

"There's no avoiding it. Renji should be here soon anyway. See ya, Momo."

"Bye!"

Rukia sighed as she threw her phone on her bed. She walked over to her jewelry box and began to look through it. She was wearing an elegant violet dress and needed the finishing touch. The last thing she wanted for her ensemble was a necklace, but couldn't seem to find the right one. She closed the box and walked over to a dresser. She hesitated, but opened the top draw. She took out a small box and walked over to her bed and sat down.

She rested the small box on her lap and continued to stare at it without opening it. With a deep breath, she finally took off the lid. She tried her best to avoid the pictures and looked for the item she wanted. Once she saw it, she picked it out, but her eyes hit the picture underneath it.

She lost her breath and slowly reached to lift the picture up. It felt like so long ago. The picture was able to give her goosebumps and then form a smile on her face. But the smile did not last long; it was soon replaced with a sad look of longing. She let her fingers trace along the face next to hers in the picture. "Why-"

"Rukia! It's time to get going! We're going to be late!" she heard Renji yell from downstairs.

"C-coming!" she yelled back, startled.

Rukia quickly threw everything back into the box and ran it back over to the dresser. She then stood in front of the mirror and placed the necklace around her neck. She stood for a moment and then let her fingers move along the piece of jewelry, which was a small violet butterfly. She stared softly at it until Renji yelled again. "Rukia! Come on!"

"Alright!" she yelled back with a frown and made her way quickly out of the door.

* * *

He sat in a private room in the back looking at himself in the mirror. He sighed heavily. "Maybe a little soul searching wasn't a good idea after all," he spoke out loud. 'Time to myself is something I really should try to avoid,' he thought burying his face in his hands.

"Kurosaki," his name was said from the door. Ichigo's head bounced up and looked at the smiling face at the door. He got up quickly, "Ishida, how the hell are ya?" he asked in excitement as he embraced his old friend.

Ishida chuckled. "I'm doing great. How are you doing? You look exactly the same. Haven't seen you in a year! Where the hell did you go?"

"I just went to get away from all this. I needed some time to myself, I guess. I'm back though, so everything should be good again," he responded.

"Well, I'm glad you're back. I got the album you sent me. That's going to sell out easily."

Ichigo chucked and rubbed the back of his neck, "Let's hope so."

The mood suddenly changed. "Ichigo. Some of the songs on there- Did you write them about-"

"Uryuu! They want you for an interview," a woman with a headset said at the door.

"Alright, be right there." He turned to Ichigo. "You're coming to my place after, right?"

"Eh, I don't know. I don't think the party scene is what I need right now," Ichigo said trying to avoid it.

"A party is exactly what you need. After your performance, everyone's going to want to see you. So just shut up and be there," Ishida said walking out of the room.

Ichigo glared with a smirk. He turned back to the mirror. "Some things never change, apparently."

* * *

Renji was wearing his black tux with a red tie that undoubtedly went with his bright red hair. He held his arm out for Rukia as he led her through the crowd out of the limo.

They placed their camera ready smiles on their faces.

"Renji! Renji! Do you think you have a good chance at winning the Best Supporting Male Role?" a reporter asked holding a microphone out to him.

"I think I have the same chance as everyone else up for that category. We all work extremely hard and I think in the end whoever wins deserves it," Renji said, beginning to walk again.

"Rukia! How do you feel about your very own story coming to life and then being put up for Best Picture?" a reporter asked hastily.

"Honestly, I'm still having trouble believing that this is all happening. It's really amazing and no matter how it turns out tonight, I'm still grateful for all of it," she said with a tender smile.

"And you're here with Renji Abarai tonight. Are you seeing each other?" the reporter asked with a smirk.

Rukia clenched her fist at her side, "No, we're just going as friends," she said with a smile to cover up her real feelings to punch the woman in her face.

"Well are you seeing anyone else then?" the reporter followed up.

"No, no. I'm still single. Oh, I guess we're going in now," Rukia said, trying to get away from the reporter that she knew she would tackle if she stayed any longer. She dragged Renji behind her.

* * *

Renji and Rukia sat down in their seats, which were in the fourth row. "I can't believe it. Twelve! Twelve times! Why do they want me dating so much?! I don't get it!" she said with annoyance.

Renji laughed. "I don't understand it either. I was only asked twice. Twelve is a little over the top."

"I swear to god, Renji, I will maul the next person that asks me. It's a promise," she said as the lights dimmed and the stage lit up.

* * *

"Before we announce the Best Picture, there is a special performance tonight," Ishida began, which made the audience curious. "Only a select few were told of this and tonight I am honored to welcome back one of my oldest and greatest friends. Please give a round of applause for his return," he said, holding his hand out to the curtain behind him as he made his way off the stage.

The curtain slowly rose and the lights diminished. You were able to see the shadow of a piano and a figure sitting at it. A spotlight slowly shined on the figure and the crowd went wild. It went from a slight applause, due to Ishida's instructions, to a roar.

The piano began to play and everyone went silent, anticipating his performance.

_Turn look, look out and see.  
Do you see me? Cause I think I see you._

Rukia's air got caught in her throat and her mouth hung ajar. 'Please tell me that isn't…'

_I've been some other place.  
The wind that I chase, it all just leads back to you._

'I know you're out there. I just hope you're listening,' Ichigo thought with his eyes shut tight as he let the music run through him.

_Oh how I'm still, so still it's burdening, it's still outran.  
I knew you when I was young, but where I am right now.  
Is where I am._

Rukia's eyes began to fill up. He was sitting about thirty feet away and that was the closest it had been since those few years ago. How was she supposed to react to seeing him? This was understandable, right? After everything they had been through, she had a right to feel anger and sorrow, right?

_Run to you, I will run, I will run  
I will move, right on through all these things I have done.  
And you'll take me back, I don't know why.  
I wanna say I'll never do it again, but I can't  
But I will try._

Ichigo let the piano sing what his heart was feeling, but still refused to look out into the audience. 'She's out there – watching me. Just the fact that she's watching me is more than enough. I don't even deserve that.' Everything about the performance seemed so peaceful. Everyone was left breathless.

_Turn and look, look out and see.  
Do you see me? Cause I think I see you._

'He hasn't turned to the audience once. I don't know what I'll do if he sees me. I hope he doesn't…' she thought as her hands slowly formed fists on her lap.

_I've been some other place.  
The wind that I chase it all just leads back to you._

'But I have to look. I have to try and find her. What if this is my only chance to look her in the eyes while I sing to her?' Ichigo continued to battle with himself.

_Oh how I miss what you miss, but I will fall time and again.  
And I will say, that I'm true to you, but I'm a cheat.  
I don't understand._

'This song… I hope this doesn't have anything to do with… Oh please, Ichigo. Why can't you stop tormenting me?' she pleaded, as she continued to watch his every move. 'If you ever cared, please stop.'

_So I'll run to you, I will run, I will run  
I will move, right on through all these things I have done.  
And you'll take me back, I don't know why.  
I wanna say I'll never do it again, but I can't  
I wanna say I'll never do it again, but I can't_

Ichigo went into the last bit of the song with feeling. This was something he needed to do; for her and for himself. His fingers hit the piano keys with passion. He finally decided what he needed to do. He looked out into the crowd and immediately his eyes locked with hers.

_I wanna say I'll never do it again, but I can't  
But I will try._

They continued to stare at one another as he finished with a few more lines of piano. Rukia's hands were shaking as the applause broke out into an incredible howl.

Ichigo gave her a sincere look of apology and Rukia was left breathless as the curtain fell, breaking their gaze.

"Rukia? Rukia, you okay?" Renji asked shaking her slightly.

She sat there, still staring at the curtain. She thought of everything in the past and how she had been trying to forget him for years. Now, there he was again, showing up and making everything she threw away fly right back at her. Her face was now emotionless, "Some things never change."

_I wanna say I'll never do it again, but I can't, but I will try…_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

Does it intrigue you? I hope so. Tell me what you think about all of this. So the next chapter should involve the after party of the award show. I wasn't too sure about this but I gave it a try. Again, share with me your thoughts! Later 


	2. From Where You Are

**A/N:** Here's the second chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Some things may be answered. Some things may be questioned. This chapter is named after the song, "From Where You Are," by Lifehouse. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 2: From Where You Are_

"Tell me again why we're going to this party?" Rukia complained in the limo as she rubbed her temples.

"One, Uryuu is one of your childhood friends. Two, he's one of my good friends. Three, he just won Best Leading Male Role in the movie that _you_ wrote. And four, you look like hell and need some stress release or something to get you into a happier mood," Renji said, holding his fingers up as he counted.

"Wow, thanks Renji. You _really_ know how to give a girl a compliment," she said with sarcasm dripping off her tongue.

"Are you sure you're all right? Ever since the end of the show you've been really weird. And by 'weird' I mean the bitchy attitude has been on overdrive tonight. And I _know_ you wouldn't get this way about us not winning Best Picture. You're not like that," he said leaning back into the leather seats. "What's going on with you?" he reinforced.

Rukia sighed and looked out the window. "I'm fine." She turned and saw him staring at her with an eyebrow raised; showing his disbelief.

"I said I'm fine, Renji. Stop worrying about me. You just won Best Supporting Male Role. You should be ready to get wasted and sleep with some newbie actress," Rukia said with her arms crossed over her chest as she continued to look out of the window. They had just parked in front of the mansion.

Renji smirked, "Ya think?" he questioned curiously.

Rukia threw her purse at him and then looked back out the window at the mansion. "You're such a pig, Abarai," Rukia said, not helping the smile on her face from her friend's idiocy.

Renji chuckled, "You know I'm kidding. But at least you smiled. Now get the hell out of the car before I carry you out. You're going to have fun so quit whining."

She growled, but then opened the door. She walked up to the door and as soon as she took a step in and was being dragged throughout the house, she realized something she hated herself for missing. And it was already too late to avoid it.

* * *

After the ceremony, Uryuu basically grabbed Ichigo by the collar and threw him into his limo before he could protest. Now that the orange headed man was leaning against a grand piano in one of Uryuu Ishida's many rooms, he had been reacquainted with another childhood friend.

"Why was he so damn persistent on getting me here?" Ichigo asked in annoyance.

"Well if _I_ knew you were back in town, _I_ would have dragged you to see the rest of your friends too. Plus, you need an official welcoming back. What kind of person comes back to a town like this and doesn't kick it off with a party anyway?" she said, tipping back a glass of wine.

"Tatsuki, do you know me _at all_?" he questioned with attitude.

She gave a slight chuckle and placed the glass down on a tray a waiter was holding and grabbed another. "Yeah. _That's_ why Ishida was persistent."

Ichigo turned his head slightly to give her a glare with a smirk, but then turned his head straight ahead only to be drawn to a sight that made the air catch in his throat. It was a sight that brought him back to a particular moment in time that he had forgotten about until then.

**-Flashback-**

_He lay on his bed with his fingers interlocked behind his neck. His eyes were clenched shut, while so many things were running through his head. He laid there staring at the ceiling with the look as if no one was home inside his mind. Ever since __**that**__ happened he had that aura around him. He couldn't help it – he just couldn't… feel anymore._

_He saw just how much she was breaking each day from the simple look in her eyes, but he didn't know what to do. He didn't even know what to do with himself. He felt like a walking waste of space. But she was still by his side no matter how many times he left without a word or how many things he said that should have totally torn her in two. She stayed… but something new was seen in those eyes the past few weeks; exhaustion._

_**So far away from where you are  
The miles have torn us way apart  
And I miss you  
Yeah I miss you**_

_He heard his window crackle a bit as it began to open from the outside. He sat up slightly, using his elbows to prop him up. He stared calmly at the window as she swiftly hopped inside. She pulled her skirt down after it had flown up a bit from her entrance. After dusting herself off, she looked up into his blazing eyes. _

_**So far away from where you are  
And standing underneath the stars  
And I wish you  
Were here**_

_It was so dark in his room, but she knew too well what his face showed; the same face she had seen for a few years now. It was a face that portrayed an empty person; an empty person that she had been desperately trying to fill ever since __**that**__ happened. But that night she had come to realize something, which she had floating around in her mind for quite awhile. Although that night when those thoughts plagued her mind again, for once… she was going to stop pushing it aside._

"_Hey," she said softly as she saw him not budge an inch._

"_Hey," he said back in the same manner._

_**I miss the years that were erased  
I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face  
I miss all the little things  
I never thought that they'd mean everything to me**_

_**Yeah I miss  
And I wish you  
Were here**_

"_Ichigo, I don't know how to say this. And a large part of me doesn't want to, but it's something I realized that I have to. So here it goes," she said taking a deep breath and refusing to move from her standing position as his eyes remained only on her. There's so much I've wanted to share with you. So many things I've dreamed of us being. I understand how what happened can affect you a lot and I tried to help you through it. But it just seems the more I try – the more you push me away," she paused and took a deep breath and took her gaze off him and looked to the ground._

"_I'm drained, Ichigo. I… can't do this anymore. I want you in my life so much, but if you're going to just watch life pass you by… then I don't think I can watch it with you," she looked up back into his piercing stare, still with no emotion visible on his face illuminated by the moonlight from the open window. _

_**I feel the beating of your heart  
I see the shadows of your face  
Just know that wherever you are  
Yeah I miss you  
And I wish you were here**_

_Her hands began to shake as the crossroads in her life was about to come. She reached her arm across her body and grabbed her wrist to steady herself. "I'm going to take the first bus out of here tomorrow morning… but I'm not going unless you tell me to," she stared deep into his eyes and she saw the slightest bit of emotion she thought._

_The beginning of her statement made his chest collapse, but the part that shook him up the most was the latter part. 'She's asking me to choose for her. If I tell her to stay, she'll most likely stay with me, no matter how miserable it may make her. I… don't want her to leave…' _

_**I miss the years that were erased  
I miss the ways the sunshine would light up your face  
I miss all the little things  
I never thought that they'd mean everything to me**_

_He let out a deep breath slowly and closed his eyes for a few moments. He let it all soak in and took a large swallow. He opened his eyes and turned his head away from her. The word seemed to refuse to leave his throat, but when it did, it was practically a whisper. "Go." It felt as if he had just stabbed himself in what was left of his beating heart. He hated seeing her fall deeper into the same crevice as him and if he could save her from the same misery… then he would; no matter how painful it would be._

_That single word hit her like a rock being thrown at pure glass. Everything shattered; her body, her mind, her soul and her heart. She thought as everything in the world deteriorated around her, 'He… doesn't love me anymore.'_

_**Yeah I miss you  
And I wish you  
Were here**_

'_What am I going to do without you?' he thought as her mouth hung slightly open and her chest rose up and down. She stared at his face that refused to look at her._

_She gave a slow nod in understanding and wiped a tear that strode down her cheek quickly before he could turn to see her, but he secretly did. _

_**So far from where you are  
These miles have torn us way apart  
And I miss you  
Yeah I miss you  
Yeah I wish you  
Were here**_

_She turned towards the window and stopped before continuing. She looked behind her, over her shoulder at him, who still refused to look at her retreating form. She opened her mouth, but then hesitated and closed it. She couldn't stop staring at him; he was everything she ever wanted, but he had just given her the signal. She was leaving now. So why was she holding back? She already knew how he felt. Why couldn't she let it out one last time? So she spoke sweetly; so sweet that once he heard her, he let her words echo throughout his entire body. "I love you."_

_He heard her exit and without even looking at the window, he returned the favor. "I'll never stop." _

She came walking into the room with an entirely different air circulating around her. Her raven hair grazed her shoulders elegantly and framed her face delicately. The lavender dress only accented her piercing violet eyes that had yet to notice him. All the music or conversation was immediately silenced. 'Why? Why is she always making my senses go haywire? I haven't been this close to her in so many years, yet she's still as beautiful as the day she left…'

She wandered into the room aimlessly, not prepared for what was literally staring her in the face. Her entire body seemed to stop functioning as her eyes wandered up the man's legs in his black dress pants, past his belt that rested nicely on his hips, further past his arms that were leaning back on the piano on their elbows with his dress shirt sleeves rolled up on his forearms, all the way up to his beautifully chiseled jaw, which then led to the revealing of his intense amber eyes.

She felt a tingle up her spine as she was left breathless. She watched motionless as he leaned off the piano slowly in shock. Rukia needed to get out of there and fast. She quickly turned around, but to her dismay, she crashed into a waiter causing the tray to fall and tumble onto Rukia as she fell to the floor.

She winced on the floor as the shattered glass scattered around her. Finally she opened her eyes and found a hand being held down to her. She followed the arm up with her eyes, and found the owner to be exactly who she tried to run from.

She looked sadly at him. Ichigo did something she didn't expect, or something she hadn't seen in years; he smiled. But not just a simple fake smile; the one you give when you pass someone on the street; he gave a sincere meaningful one. It almost seemed like… like he was the boy she fell in love with all those years ago…

"Careful. There's a lot of glass around you," he said with his hand still extended.

Rukia hesitantly raised her hand, and then finally placed it in his. 'It's been so long…' she thought as he pulled her up slowly.

They stood for a few seconds just staring at each other. Rukia's mouth hung slightly ajar, while he continued to smile. "Are you okay?" he asked, raising his eyebrows slightly in concern.

She couldn't force the words out of her throat and opted to just give a nod.

"It's good to see you, Rukia," he said softly.

The hairs on her arms and the back of her neck rose at that moment. "Yeah," she said softly as someone came and began to drag Ichigo away. Ichigo looked back at Rukia in surprise, but let the man pull him along, saying something about Ichigo making a comeback.

Rukia watched him being pulled away and finished her sentence, "It's good to see you too, Ichigo."

She took a few deep breaths and then snapped out of her daze. 'I have to get out of here,' she thought as she rushed to the door.

"Rukia!" Tatsuki yelled, seeing her old friend run away after seeing _him_. But she was ignored as Rukia wouldn't stop for anyone.

* * *

Ichigo was talking to many people as he smiled and nodded to whatever was being said. He really didn't care at the moment. His eyes kept darting around to see if he could catch a glimpse of her again. It came to a point where Ichigo couldn't take it anymore.

He looked down to his watch, "I'm so sorry guys. I really should be going. There is someone I have to see," he said with an apologetic look.

"But the night is still young, Kurosaki!" the drunk Best Supporting Male yelled from behind as he draped an arm around Ichigo's shoulders.

"Yeah, I know Renji. But I have to talk to someone still," Ichigo said untangling his arm off his shoulders.

Renji pulled him aside and whispered, or what he thought was whispering to Ichigo, "I heard from Tatsuki that Rukia took off awhile ago. She tried to ask where she was going but she was in a big hurry or something!"

"Jesus Abarai! Stop yelling in my ear!" Ichigo said pushing his away a little. "And you probably had enough to drink tonight. Why don't you relax a little?" Ichigo suggested.

"Relax?! We need to celebrate! I won an award! That's amazing!" Renji yelled with surprise on his face.

Ichigo chuckled, "Yeah, yeah. Go celebrate then. I'll see ya later," he said beginning to walk away.

"Hey Ichigo! I'm happy you're back man!" he yelled with a goofy smile.

"Yeah, me too," Ichigo replied. "And congratulations."

* * *

Rukia had run out of that house as fast as possible. It was all too confusing; so unreal. She ran all the way down the driveway of Ishida's mansion and down to the dock he had set up on the lake.

She leaned on the railing and looked down on the water. The night sky was clear and the moon shined down on the lake, making the moonlight sparkle off the calm water. What was she supposed to do? He told her to leave. He didn't want her anymore. How was she supposed to act around him? She sighed and continued to watch the moving water dance the moonlight along its surface.

"Nice night, huh?" she heard a voice behind her. She was startled at first, but sighed. She didn't turn to look, but only responded as she continued to look out at the water.

"Yeah, it's beautiful," she said in response.

He walked up next to her and leaned on the railing. "Why are you running?" he asked like it was as simple as the question 'Do you know what time it is?'

She was surprised how straight forward he was, "I'm not r-"

"Yes you are," he cut her off.

She turned to look at him, who was looking out at the lake. Her mouth hung open slightly, but then she sighed and turned back to the lake. "Why do you care?" she asked softly.

He gave out a disgusted chuckle. "What kind of question is that?"

They stood there in silence for a moment. "How did you find me?" she asked.

"You never could go very far when you ran. Plus, you always had a fascination with the river way back when. I figured the lake was the closest bet," he reasoned out.

'He remembers little things like them,' she thought to herself and the turned to him.

"Why did you come back?" she asked the one question many people in the world were probably wondering.

He turned to face her now as well. "Does it matter?"

"Why can't you give a straight answer?" she asked back in agitation.

"I asked if it mattered because even when I was here you never once tried to talk to me! Why the hell would you care if I came back or not if it was just the as it was when I was here?!" he began to raise his voice.

"Are you blaming me for us not talking?!" Rukia yelled back.

"Yes! Yes I am! You didn't once want to see me!"

"You know what? You're absolutely right! I didn't want to see you! Happy now? Everything is Rukia's fault! Ichigo did nothing wrong whatsoever!" she yelled waving her hands around in the air.

He looked at her in disbelief. "Oh give me a break! When I first heard you came to this damn city all I wanted to do was see how you were! It had been two years. I figured we could have kept the past behind us!"

"Kept the past behind us? Are you serious, Ichigo? You thought we could shake hands and introduce ourselves like nothing happened? So much has happened; so much between us. I was afraid to see you again," she said softly the last statement.

They stood for a moment in silence just staring into each others eyes, which were anything but cold. He opened his mouth and spoke with the same softness as her. "You were afraid of me?" he asked in confusion as his chest began to feel heavy.

"I can't do this," she said quickly as she turned around and was ready to run out of there, but he grabbed her arm before she could.

She turned slowly back at him and stared into his hurt eyes with his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Why were you afraid?" he asked softly.

She stared up into his amber eyes that were begging for her to answer. There was something about the way he was staring at her that made it impossible for her to leave without telling him the truth. So she told him. "I didn't want to feel that pain again."

He was shocked by her response and let his grip on her arm weaken. She then took the opportunity to run. He didn't attempt to run after her, but just watched the distance between them grow. He was thinking one thing that was tearing him inside out. 'I don't want to hurt you anymore.'

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Interesting? Well just let me know. Um, the next update will not be for awhile because I realized just how much I've been neglecting _Keep Holding On_, and I know I'm keeping a lot of people waiting. So I'm going to focus 100 percent on that. So let me know what you think about this and hopefully it won't be too long of a wait for this story. Thanks again! Later


	3. Come Back Down

**A/N:** This took some time to update. I apologize. I was into These Days so forgive me. This is named after the song, "Come Back Down," by Lifehouse. Yes, another Lifehouse. What are you going to do? Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nada.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 3: Come Back Down_

"Rukia? Rukia, honey? Come on. You've locked yourself away for days now. You have to come out today. You have a book signing. You can't skip this. So many people are waiting to see you!" Momo said sweetly from behind Rukia's bedroom door.

Meanwhile, Rukia had her covers over her head as she listened to the constant knocking. There originally were constant phone calls until she shut her phone off; apparently that just caused them to come in person.

"Oh thank god you're here. She hasn't said one word," Momo said to her arriving friends.

"Rukia? How ya doing, hun? Can you let us in?" Rangiku asked wiggling the door handle. "Come on. I have a surprise for you," she said trying to persuade her. "And it's not any sort of outfit this time since you obviously aren't in love with clothes as much as I am."

Rukia rolled her eyes under the covers. Rangiku had excellent taste in fashion; she had to admit; she _did_ have her own fashion industry, but sometimes she just couldn't wear everything that woman gave her.

"Rukia! Open up! I swear you'll like this surprise!" Rangiku yelled again.

"Oh my god! If I let you in for a little bit, will you leave me the hell alone?!" Rukia blurted out in frustration.

"Ah! And the beautiful maiden speaks!" Rangiku praised through the door.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Rukia said, dragging herself out of bed, revealing her purple bunny short-shorts and a purple tank top. She opened the door. "Come in," she said lacking enthusiasm.

She opened the door and immediately brightened up. "Orihime?!"

The strawberry blonde girl was smiling from ear to ear as she held her arms open for a hug. "Rukia!"

"Ah!" Rukia screeched before almost tackling her best friend. She hadn't seen her in three years. After high school, she was accepted for an over-seas internship as a reporter. While she was there, they gave her a job and she had a steady career there ever since.

"I can't believe it! I had no idea you were coming!" she yelled, pulling away to see her face.

"I wanted to surprise you! Plus I'm focusing more on the celebrity gossip area in journalism, so I'm moving over here." she responded with a smile causing another shriek from her raven haired friend.

Rangiku ran over and yanked up the blinds of the window, revealing the powerful sun. Momo pulled the sheets all the way open on the bed to avoid Rukia burying herself in them again.

"Now," Orihime started; her face getting serious. She grabbed her hand and sat her down on the side of the bed while the other two stood a few feet away in support. "Tell us what's going on."

Rukia sighed as her newfound happiness began to expire. She turned to the two standing woman. "You play a dirty game, you two," she said with a glare. Then she smirked, "Touché."

She took a deep breath. "I ran into Ichigo at Ishida's party," she said looking down at her lap.

Orihime's eyes grew wide. "And you actually- talked?"

"Yeah. I tried to run away, but I ran into a waiter and fell and broke a glass, oh god it was just a disaster," she said burying her face in her hands.

"Then what happened?!" Rangiku said hastily, causing the three to look at her in suspicion. "What?" she said in defense. "I can sense the drama. It pulls me in."

Momo shook her head. "Keep going."

"_Right_," Rukia said looking away from her and moving on. "Well he held his hand down and helped me up. But the weird part was- he was smiling; a real smile though; not one of those crappy things you give just to ease things over."

Orihime smiled. "He smiled? I haven't seen him smile in years. I heard he took a year off. Maybe that has something to do with it. Maybe he changed," Orihime began to reason.

"There's more though," Rukia added. "He was dragged off and then I- well, I ran out of there. I took off to the dock," she said almost feeling guilty for some reason.

Rangiku laughed slightly. "I could have guessed that."

Momo nudged Rangiku with her elbow. "Let her finish."

Rukia took another deep breath. "Well to make things short, he found me. He asked me why I kept running from him- I asked him why he came back. Then he asked why I avoided him even before he took off for a year and I said there was too much history between us. This made us argue more, I told him I was afraid of him and tried to get out of there and then he stopped me."

"Don't stop now!" Rangiku yelled almost falling over from the suspense. Momo reached over and steadied her.

Rukia raised an eyebrow at her friend and turned to Orihime, who said in a soft tone, "Continue."

"He grabbed my wrist and asked why. But his eyes- wow his eyes," she said leaning back and daydreaming of his eyes staring into her soul.

"What were they like?" Momo asked starting to get like Rangiku.

Rukia continued to stare off like she could see them. "They were so pure of sadness. It's almost like he wanted to know why just so he could fix it. Everything I saw brought me back to when, well when," she drifted off and looked back to her lap.

"When what?!" Momo yelled, causing Rangiku to look at her with surprise. She chuckled and gave her a pat on the back. She then looked back at Rukia and gave her a look of expectancy.

"Is my life just one big soap opera to you two?" she asked sarcastically.

Orihime giggled, "Just give them what they want."

Rukia sighed. "It brought me back to when he used to love me."

The two women standing seemed to have melted into a puddle as their faces showed awe. "That's- so romantic," Rangiku said holding back tears. Momo nodded eagerly n agreement as she bit her lip. The two flew to her and gave her a group hug and Orihime just joined in.

"Okay, okay. I get it. Give me some air now girls," Rukia said under the pile.

They backed away slightly. Momo wiped an eye, "So then what?" she said with a sniff.

"I said I didn't want to feel the pain again," she said softly looking at her hands on her lap.

"Aw!" Rangiku broke out with tear filled eyes. The two women began to hug her again, but Rukia shot out her arms.

"No! It's okay. Really," she said with a begging smile. They backed away as Orihime put her hand over Rukia's.

"You ran again, didn't you?" she asked with sad eyes. Rukia just nodded with a sad frown.

"And this is where I am now. I can't go out there," Rukia said, pointing towards the window.

"No you can't!" Rangiku yelled in agreement. "You're emotionally unstable. The press loves this kind of stuff. Right, Orihime?"

"Of course. If we weren't such good friends, I'd be writing all of this down," she said with a joking smile.

"See. We have to keep you away from any sort of endangerment," Rangiku added going over and pulling down the blinds she had just pulled up.

"And with this kind of emotional entanglement your fans are just going to have to suffer. You wrote them their favorite stories! They should already feel grateful!" Momo said pushing Rukia to lie down on her bed and quickly threw the sheets over top of her.

Orihime stayed back slightly observing with a smile.

"Wait! What do you mean? I can't just let them down," Rukia said, faintly confused about her friends hasty movements.

Rangiku brought over a box of tissues near the bed. "Sure you can! They've been waiting for months to see you but you're in way too big a funk to see them!"

Rukia looked at the box of tissues and something hit her. "No, no, no, no, no! I am not in _that_ big a funk! And who am I to keep fans that have been looking forward to see me waiting? I'm going to that damn book signing and you can't stop me!" she yelled throwing the blankets off her and running to her bathroom where they heard the shower start thirty seconds after the door was slammed.

Orihime smiled at them in victory. "Told you it would work. Nice job guys."

The other two women chuckled and went to open the shades again as they waited to accompany their friend to her event.

* * *

"Kurosaki, what do you plan on accomplishing by coming here? Seriously. It's obvious she doesn't want to see you," Ishida said trying to keep up to his friend's amazing pace.

"You know me. I'm stubborn. Besides, I've finally realized what I had all those years ago. All I want is for her to be in my life. I'm not asking for anything other than friendship," he said looking at the stores as he passed by. He had on a black beanie and black sunglasses with his red hoodie and jeans.

Ishida shook his head. "Rukia is just as stubborn as you. The odds of her even looking your way are terrible. After everything that happened between you two, even asking for the two of you to be okay with each other is pushing it," Ishida reasoned, still trying to catch up behind him. He was wearing a blue baseball cap to go with a black sweater. They were about to go into a public area with no protection from fans; they needed to blend in.

"I'm ready to try," Ichigo said opening the door and walking in. He suddenly had a flashback.

_He opened the door; more like flew through the door; and looked around frantically. He looked around the restaurant for her and once he found her at a table he ran to her._

"_You actually said 'yes' to going out with him?" he asked grabbing her arm. She was in the middle of saying the specials, but once she was grabbed by the arm she jumped and turned to him. _

_He was dripping wet and wearing his bathing suit. The water strode down his well toned body and for a second she was too distracted to see his scowling face or realize how pissed she should be. She shook her head. "Ichigo!" she hissed from the side of her mouth. "What the hell are you doing?!"_

"_I came to ask you a question. Now answer it," he said scowling even more._

"_Ichigo, I'm working. And from what I can tell, you're supposed to be working too. People could be drowning right now. Get out of here," she said in annoyance and disbelief before turning back to the table._

"_I'm not leaving without an answer," he said crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly._

There was a huge crowd in what looked like a line. "Damn, we're late. This is going to take forever."

Ishida raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well you're so persistent in trying. I guess this will really test you."

"Screw you man," Ichigo growled as he took his place in the crowd holding a book to his side.

Ishida shook his head and laughed to himself. He started to walk around the book store. It was pretty huge, he had to admit. He made his way upstairs and roamed around; passing the children's section and then seeing a young woman leaning on the railing with a notebook and holding a pen to her lips as she thought what to write.

He smiled with intrigue and began to make his way over to her. He casually leaned on the railing with his forearms. "Fan?"

She jumped in surprise and ended up throwing the pen down off the second floor; hitting a teenage girl who looked around frantically to see where it came from.

"Sorry!" Orihime yelled apologetically down to the girl. She turned to Ishida. "You scared me to death!"

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't-" he said hesitantly, feeling extremely awkward at the moment.

She immediately broke out giggling hysterically. His mouth dropped slowly and then smoothly turned into a smile.

"So what did you ask me?" she asked turning to face him more. She was smiling completely now with a sparkle in her eye that made Ishida somewhat speechless for a moment.

"I- uh- asked if you were a fan of her," he said nodding his head down to the first floor towards Miss Kuchiki.

"Well I'm a big fan, but I'm not here for that. I'm doing a column on the book signing. All work; no play," she said with a sigh.

He smiled as he got more comfortable on the railing. "Well if you're a fan I could get you a meeting with Rukia. She's a close friend of mine."

Orihime opened her mouth and began to chuckle. "Oh really? And how do you know Rukia?"

He smirked. "Childhood friend."

She raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "Okay. Well it was nice talking to you," she said cheerily before turning to walk away.

"Hey! Wait," Ishida yelled and ran in front of her. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked with worry.

"Well you're trying to flirt with me by lying. I rather not waste my time," she said still smirking.

"Lying? What makes you think I'm lying?" he asked with a frown.

"Because I know for a fact you weren't childhood friends with Rukia," she said getting defensive.

"Orihime! Momo and I are going to get some lunch. Want anything?" Rangiku yelled from the stairs.

Ishida looked at the woman on the stairs and then back at Orihime. "Orihime?" he asked with surprise feeling a sudden weight on his chest.

Orihime looked suspiciously at him.

"Is that you, Ishida? What are you doing here?" Rangiku asked with interest.

Orihime's eyes widened. "Uryuu?" she asked softly before reaching up and taking off the baseball cap that hid a good portion of his face.

"I- haven't seen you in years," he said softly with wide eyes.

She then smiled from ear to ear and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly; leaving him too surprised to react and stood for a moment with his arms in midair before moving to hold her in return.

They pulled apart and she was giggling. "I couldn't recognize you and all you had on was a hat," she said hitting herself in the head.

He chuckled, "Hey, I couldn't recognize you and you didn't even have anything deceiving on." They stopped laughing and stared into each other's eyes for a moment.

"You look so different. You look good," Ishida began, but then caught himself. "Not that you didn't look good back then! You looked beautiful! It's just now you look even more beautiful- I mean you look great!" he said beginning to blush.

She giggled and looked down to hide a blush.

"Um, lunch?" Rangiku felt awkward witnessing the flirtatious reunion.

Orihime looked at her. "Why don't you let Uryuu and I go and get it?"

She raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Whatever you say, Orihime," she said retreating back down the stairs.

Orihime turned back to Ishida with a smile. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Yeah," he said softly due to being too captivated by her. She noticed this and quickly slammed his hat back on his head, knocking him back to reality.

"Come on," she said, giggling from startling him. She grabbed his hand in hers casually and dragged him to the stairs, which he complied to.

* * *

Ichigo was a couple of people away in line from being in front. He started to get nervous. He had it all planned out, but the butterflies that filled his gut were making him go mad.

_**Staring right back in the face,  
a memory can't be erased.  
I know, because I tried.**_

He took another step forward. 'Almost there,' he thought, beginning to breathe heavily.

"_I'm not leaving without an answer," he said crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly._

_**Start to feel the emptiness  
and everything I'm gonna miss.  
I know that I can't hide.**_

_She growled slightly. "I'm sorry, can you excuse me for one second," she said with a fake sweetness to the table. She grabbed his elbow and yanked him away to a corner where no one could see them._

"_What's your problem, Kurosaki?!" Rukia asked furiously._

_**All this time is passing by  
I think it's time to just move on**_

_He continued to scowl. "You're going out with Mister School-President-who-has-a-stick-up-his-ass?!"_

"_Oh, I didn't know that was his name. Thanks for the information, Ichigo," she said beginning to walk away. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back; receiving a glare from her when she was back in position._

_**When you come back down,  
if you land on your feet,  
I hope you find a way  
to make it back to me**_

"_I'm not even going out with him! He asked me to the dance, Ichigo! I said, 'yes.' What's the big deal?" she asked incredulously._

"_He's a scum bag!" he yelled, not holding it back._

"_And why do you care if I go with a 'scum bag'?!"_

"_Because I care about you, you idiot! You deserve better!" he yelled with a frown._

_**When you come around,  
I'll be there for you.  
Don't have to be alone  
with what you're going through.**_

"_And who is better, Ichigo?" she said; her yelling dieing down from his last statement._

_He opened his mouth to respond, but couldn't and closed his mouth; speechless. Her violet eyes were now softer than before as they searched his amber. He took a deep swallow._

"_Since you weren't going to ask me, why shouldn't I have said 'yes'?" she said softly._

_**Start to breathe and fake a smile,  
it's all the same after a while.  
I know that you are tired.  
**_

_His face lost its hard demeanor as he stared straight back at her. "If I asked you, would you?"_

_She slowly smiled sweetly up at him. "I would have a long time ago."_

_**Carrying the ones you lost,  
a picture frame with all the thoughts  
I know you hold inside.**_

That seemed like so long ago to him and it was only until recently that he realized that he had everything back then. He didn't need anything else. But fate took place; and everything good in his world started to rot. Not because it had to, but because he let it.

_**I hope that you can find your way back  
To the place where you belong**_

He blinked his eyes a few times and then noticed he was next. He walked up and placed the book down on the table. She took it without looking up. "Who do I make this out to?" she asked opening up to the cover page.

_**When you come back down,  
if you land on your feet,  
I hope you find a way  
to make it back to me.**_

She read the words over and over until the words were echoing in her head. "_If I asked you, would you?" _She let out a breath and then looked up. He was obviously trying to blend in, but she saw his vibrant hair peaking through the beanie. And although his strong amber eyes were hidden under the sunglasses, she knew he was staring intently at her.

_**When you come around,  
I'll be there for you.  
Don't have to be alone  
with what you're going through.**_

She frowned and looked straight where she thought his eyes were. "I would have a long time ago," she finished, but added, "But not anymore."

She looked around him. "Next please," she said, avoiding his stare.

"I'm not leaving without a chance to talk to you," he said in a soft tone, placing his palms down on the table and leaning closer.

_**You're coming back down  
You said you feel lost - can I help you find it?  
When you come around  
From time to time, we all are blinded**_

"We already did that and do you remember how that turned out? Not very good, Ichigo," she said in irritation.

"Well then you don't have to talk; just listen," he pushed. She just shook her head continuously.

_**You're coming back down  
You don't have to tell me what you're feeling,  
I know what you're going through.  
I won't be the one who lets go of you.**_

He reached up and pulled his glasses off. "Rukia," he said softly staring back into her violets. "Please?" he said in a begging, soft tone.

She saw that hopeful look; that look in his eyes that had totally vanished after the incident; that look that showed he was in fact human. She sighed and broke the gaze, looking down at the still open book where the words still haunted her.

_**I think it's time to just move on**_

The look in his eyes gave her the feeling that he wasn't the same boy that let her walk out of his life without a care. He was different; yet he was the same; the same as the boy she first fell in love with those many years ago.

_**When you come back down,  
if you land on your feet,  
I hope you find a way  
to make it back to me.**_

"I should be done in twenty minutes," she said quietly.

He smiled and put the sunglasses back on. "Can I still have my book signed?" he asked with a smirk.

_**When you come around,  
I'll be there for you.  
Don't have to be alone  
with what you're going through.**_

She glared at him, but bent her head down to start writing; trying to hide the smile on her face. She wrote and gave it back to him.

"To Moron?!" he read out loud after he walked a few steps away.

"Next!" Rukia yelled causing the crowd to move.

_**When you come back down,  
if you land on your feet,  
I hope you find a way  
to make it back to me. **_

When you come around,  
I'll be there for you.  
Don't have to be alone  
with what you're going through.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

And that was chapter 3. Sorry it took awhile. But I finally got it to you! Yay! So tell me what you think. Later


	4. My Immortal

**A/N:** This is a longer chapter. Hopefully you like it. It's been a long time so you might want to skim the ending of the last chapter if you don't remember. This is named after, "My Immortal," by Evanescence. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 4: My Immortal_

So what if it ended up being longer than she said it would? I mean twenty minutes may have been a little under-estimating three hours, but what right did he have to get pissed? Well, he had a little right, but if he wanted to get on her good side again he would have to deal with it. So he chose, after an hour, to sit down at a table and relax. Apparently he relaxed too much because in no time, he was asleep with his head resting on his folded arms on the table.

Rukia smiled to herself as time went by. After twenty minutes, she noticed Ichigo getting fidgety in the far right corner of the giant bookstore. She knew it wasn't going to be over that quick, but she enjoyed making him wait longer. After an hour she saw him actually sit down and then he didn't move for about another two hours so she could only assume he was asleep; or dead. It didn't really matter either way to her.

It was now about nine at night and she had just waved goodbye to her last fan, who was exiting the now closing bookstore. She smiled at how the event turned out, but then her eyes caught site of a particular orange-headed man whose hair was showing a lot more now. She sighed and made her way to him.

She went to reach out and shake him, but she paused in the middle of her reach. Her careless expression changed into a saddened one. She watched him breathe in and out delicately; his face seemed so relaxed. Her mind brought her back to a different time.

_She wore a huge smile on her face as she tried not to giggle from anticipation. She looked down at his sleeping form on his bed where he laid with the covers only covering him to his waist; revealing a shirtless upper body. He was lying on his back with his head turned to the side; a cheek resting on his pillow. She had climbed in through the window and took her seat on the edge of his bed._

_She finally bent down slowly and kissed his cheek gently. She then moved her mouth to his ear and whispered, "Happy eighteenth birthday, Ichigo."_

_His mouth formed into a smile without opening one eye. Then, without warning, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him, then pulling the covers over her as well as she joined him in the bed. She was somewhat startled, but when his lips met hers, she melted. He pulled away from her and moved a strand of hair behind her ear, "Thank you," he said with a genuine smile._

_Rukia chuckled at him and then went to move out of the bed, but his grip around her waist grew tighter as he pulled her back against his body. Her hands were placed against his chest, "Ichigo, come on. I have the whole day planned out. We can't waste time just sitting around," she said in a lecturing tone._

_He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Who said we'd just be sitting around? I had something in mind," he said going to kiss her, but she placed her pointer finger in front of his approaching lips causing him to not reach her._

"_I put a lot of work into today and if you think you can just change everything like that, you've got another thing co-" she started but was interrupted by Ichigo grabbing her wrist, pushing it away gently and then moving in and claiming her lips. _

_He pulled away from her for a second to look at her reaction. She sighed. "I hate you," she said with a small smile. He smirked, "You could never hate me," he said in response as she moved her hands behind his neck. She shook her head with a matching smirk and went for another, but more passionate kiss._

Rukia stared at his motionless form with a soft expression on her face. The corners of her lips were the tiniest bit curved; giving the possibility of a smile, but it quickly fell. She then frowned and picked up her book that he was still carrying around. Then, she dropped it on the table from about two feet in the air, causing a loud thud.

Ichigo jumped and almost fell out of his seat as he looked around frantically. He then took a deep breath as he saw her frowning down at him.

"I'm done," she said coldly, crossing her arms over her chest.

He sighed as he looked down at the table, "About time," he mumbled.

"What was that?" Rukia questioned, knowing full well what he said.

He smiled up at her, "Nothing. So uh," he began rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand as he stood up, "Can we go for a walk or something?"

She sighed and made her way to the door, but stopped noticing he wasn't following. She turned around halfway, "Are you coming or not?" she said somewhat bitterly.

"Uh, yeah!" he said, flustered as he jogged up next to her.

Orihime sighed as Ishida handed her a cup of coffee. "There's no way this is going to be easy for him," Orihime said with disappointment.

He nodded in agreement as they took a seat at a table, "Kurosaki's screwed."

* * *

He kept a pretty fast pace as they walked down the sidewalk of the well lit roads. The streetlights were spaced about twenty feet away but the lighting from the buildings gave plenty luminosity.

"Well if you're going to continue to practically run, what's the damn point?" he said finally stopping his attempt to catch up.

She huffed loudly and spun around. "Talk."

He took a deep breath and walked up to her as she stood crossing her arms over her chest.

"I know we've been through a lot of shit, Rukia. I get that. And I'll-" he started but she held her hand up, and then quickly held her pointer finger up.

"First, can you take that ridiculous hat off? I can't take you serious with it on," she said in a cold tone, yet it almost sounded like a jest.

He raised an eyebrow and pulled it off his head with is left hand, revealing his bright orange hair. "What's wrong with a beanie?" he asked in defense, rubbing his hand through his spiky locks to avoid hat-hair.

"Nothing. There's just something wrong with _you_ wearing it. I told you a long time ago you weren't a hat person, Ichigo," she said, almost sounding civil.

He gave a chuckle. "Yeah you did, didn't you?" he said staring at her for a moment in silence. The way she said that brought him back to their quarreling days when everything was perfect.

Rukia could tell he was somewhat lost in his thoughts, so she cleared her throat for him.

He was somewhat startled and thought he saw her smirking at his behavior, but it quickly washed away.

"I'll admit that I was an ass, but I can't change any of that now. All I can do is hope you can forgive me and maybe even one day you won't hate me and we can be friends again." He gave his attempt at an apology as he felt the fear of rejection move throughout his entire body, making him feel incredibly small at that moment.

_I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone_

Rukia stared at him intently as her arms fell slowly to her side. It was as if she was looking for something deep inside him that only she could find. She knew by every movement; every breath that he took, he was putting himself out in the open for any sort of pain; he was allowing himself to be vulnerable, like a small child, for once in his life. She knew him to be this headstrong man that would rarely let anyone in to see the real Ichigo, but right then, at that very moment, he was showing everything he had to give; not with words, but with his actions. But to be honest, this scared the hell out of her.

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

She took a deep swallow and crossed her arms over her chest again. She raised her chin slightly to regain her thoughts to respond. "That's why you still don't understand, Ichigo," she sighed, closing her eyes for a moment, but then continued. "I could never hate you," she said; her voice beginning to tremble from memories swarming through her mind.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have  
All of me_

She bent her head to the ground and took a deep breath. Her crossed arms now fell to hug her waist, showing vulnerability. "What is it that you want? Is it forgiveness? Is that you want?" she looked up with water-filled eyes and a desperate voice. "Because I'll give it to you if that's what you really want."

He looked at her with equally sad eyes. He spoke softly; not wanting to urge any outbursts. "No, you wouldn't. The way you speak to me; the way you look at me. You still hold a grudge."

_You used to captivate me  
By your resonating light  
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind  
Your face it haunts  
My once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away  
All the sanity in me  
_

She was about to speak as the bulge in her throat seemed to grow bigger, but Ichigo cut her off holding up his hand to stop her.

"And I don't blame you," he said in complete understanding. Her face looked surprised by his statement and when she noticed this, she bowed her head to hide her face. She didn't notice as he began to walk up to her slowly.

She gripped her shirt in her fists as she tried to hold back tears. 'Part of me wants to run, but another part of me wants him to hold me. I want to feel his warmth as his arms encase me in a world where I could easily get lost in. But, I can't-' her thoughts were interrupted as Ichigo reached up and softly held her chin in his right hand.

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

He looked at her violet eyes. His chest ached as he knew the pain he saw was caused by him. He wanted to give everything he could to stop it. He spoke with determination, but sensitivity as well. "Two years ago, I lost the love of my life. But the part you don't realize is, two years ago I lost something else as well; my best friend," he said, causing a tear to get loose and fall down her cheek. He moved his hand from under her chin to her cheek where he wiped the stray tear away. "And I miss her," he added, causing her to close her eyes and her jaw to tremble. "And I want her to fill that empty space in my life again."

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have  
All of me  
_

She slowly moved her left hand up and placed it on his, which was still gently on her cheek. He took in the warmth of her hand; the relatively small size compared to his. It felt amazing to feel her touch again.

She then moved her fingers to grip him so that she was holding the back of his hand in hers. And then, she pulled it away from her face. Her eyes opened up and stared into his now hopeless ambers. She hesitated, but spoke as the air seemed to have trouble staying in her lungs. "I can't," she said softly and then dropped his hand, after a bright flash was seen from her right.

_I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me  
I've been alone all along_

The two looked and saw a man holding a camera across the street. "Hey, Kurosaki! Kuchiki! You two an item or something?!" he yelled as he flashed another picture.

Ichigo felt fire burn in his eyes and his nostrils flared as he stared at the man. Rukia frowned slightly. She then turned and ran. She went around the corner and then down an alleyway in the street.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have  
All of me  
_

Ichigo began to run after her but after he was halfway through the alley, it broke into two directions and he lost her. He breathed heavily as he leaned his back against the alley wall and then leaned his head back to look up at the sky. He stayed like that for a few minutes; replaying the past few events in his head. And then, like it was fate, the rain came down. It was fast and heavy. He let out a disgusted chuckle and closed his eyes with his head still tilted towards the sky.

* * *

She continued to run. She knew her way around now considering she needed ways to avoid the public sometimes. She knew exactly where she was going and she made there in record time.

_All of me_

Rukia ran into the desolate park and straight up to her special spot overlooking the lake. She stood there looking at it as her breathing was hard. Her eyes were slightly red now from crying and her cheeks were stained with tears.

_All of me_

'You did it again, Rukia. You ran away. How many times is it now?' she berated herself as she frowned towards the lake. Then, as if it wasn't bad enough. The rain began to pour down. She let out a loud sigh and looked up to the sky. "Thanks!" she yelled bitterly.

She was already soaked so there was no point in running for cover. Besides, she liked the idea of her tears being washed away by the rain. So she sat down on the wet grass and watched the ripples grow in the lake.

She watched as each drop made its own way into the water, eventually becoming one with it. It was calming her senses and mesmerizing her. Then, she spoke out loud.

"Why is it that no one ever hears a single drop of rain? It is only until a thousand drops fall when they are finally heard. But why is it that when a thousand hearts are falling, that isn't heard? If no one can hear that, how will a single heart be heard?" She stared emotionless at the still rippling water. 'That's how I'll start my next book.'

* * *

"Rukia!" came a yell from the front door of the young raven-haired writer's residence. "Rukia!" they yelled again as they slowly closed the door behind them after not receiving an answer.

The young, strawberry blonde journalist peeked in the kitchen and then the living room. She scratched her head in confusion as the house remained silent. She then made her way up the stairs calling to her friend once again, but still no answer.

She finally made it to her room, where she saw it was empty. She sighed and then turned around. Then, a room across the landing with its door closed caught her eye. She made her way to it, finally knocking, seeing as it was closed. She then opened it slowly, "Rukia? Hey, are you in here?" she asked as her eyes searched the room. Then, they finally settled on the petit female.

She was sitting at a desk with scattered papers all over it and also all over the floor. But she sat there with her laptop placed directly in front of her. Her mind was obviously lost inside it at the moment. She was typing so fast, Orihime would have assumed she wasn't even making out words and just hitting the keyboard randomly.

Orihime then examined the girl from afar in silence. Rukia was dressed in a black hoody with a pair of black, comfortable short-shorts. Her hair was pulled back to what was the closest thing she could do to a ponytail, with loose strands framing her face.

Orihime smiled as she realized this is exactly where her best friend had been for the past four days. She doubted any sleep, except for the occasional rest on the keyboard, but that was about it. Orihime walked further in and stood about eight feet away from Rukia, with her hands folded innocently in front of her.

"Writer's block, huh?" Orihime said; her head was tilted to the side with a large smile across her face. She followed it with a giggle as Rukia turned her head in surprise.

Rukia grinned, "Since when are you one for sarcasm?" Orihime chose the question to be rhetorical and laughed again.

"I realized today I've been going for four days now," Rukia said with a chuckle. "Its weird how I still don't feel tired or anything. I never can keep track of time when this happens."

Orihime suddenly felt awkward. "Well, that's kind of why I'm here. I was wondering if you've turned on a television anytime lately."

Rukia sat back in her chair and spun it around to face Orihime. The petit girl rubbed the back of her neck in an attempt to ease the only then noticed ache. She then brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear as she responded. "Oh no, I don't like the sound of that," she said in a monotone; expressing predicted stress.

Orihime gave an apologetic look. "Yeah, I don't think you'll like the look of it either," she said grabbing the remote controller off the top of the table near the flat screen plasma television mounted on the wall. She turned it on and put on the news.

Rukia sat leaning back in her chair with her elbow propped up on the arm rest of the chair; her cheek putting all of its weight on her palm as she continued to look at the screen unenthused.

"…and after this recent occurrence, it has been declared that the pop diva has been instituted in a prestigious mental hospital for being recognized for bipolar activity. And on to a much lighter note; it was found that a few nights ago our recently returned heart throb and magical musician, Ichigo Kurosaki was spending a night with the very beautiful and elegant well-known writer, Rukia Kuchiki. Here are some photos of the two looking quite close on a street corner near the bookstore where Kuchiki had her book signing that day. Could this be the next celebrity couple? We'll keep you posted on our research. Now, we'll take a look at the next-" The television was then turned off abruptly by Orihime as she turned to see her best friend's reaction to the news.

The raven haired woman was staring at the black screen with her jaw hanging open. Her eyes were glaring in disbelief. They sat in silence for about ten seconds before Orihime began to question her, "Ruk-"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" the petite girl growled out as she jumped to her feet. "Why the hell do they want me to be dating someone so god damn much?! And with him?! Are they fucking nuts?!"

"Well, you can't blame them really. Those were some pretty believable assumptions coming from with those pictures. He had his hand on your cheek and then your hand on his hand. It looks pretty suggestive to me. What was that about anyway?" Orihime questioned interestedly.

Rukia began pacing around the room while she rubbed her temples with both hands. "It was him trying to apologize and wanting to be friends. I was crying and everything and then he tried to comfort me. But what the damn pictures don't show is me taking his hand _off_ my cheek!" She let out a loud groan, "Gah!"

"Oh. Well that does make things complicated," Orihime said almost to herself. "Well, you know it's not true, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Rukia stopped and looked at her friend with an incredulous look on her face. "Are you serious?! Not only does this affect my emotional status by the subject of him coming up again, but now it has the damn world involved. Just imagine, 'Award winning writer has a mental breakdown caught on tape as she was approached in a local mall.'"

Orihime walked over and put her hands on Rukia's shoulders to get her attention completely. "Okay, calm down. That won't happen and you'll be fine. Just remember: if you're asked by a reporter if you're seeing Ichigo, just set them straight. Tell them there was a misunderstanding and that you two are just old friends. That will end the suspicion."

Rukia stared wide-eyed at her friend until she finished. She then closed her eyes and bent her head down towards the floor. She took a deep breath and look back up. "You're right. I'm freaking out over nothing. It's just- it's a sensitive subject. And to have it on the news like that, it's just-"

Orihime smiled politely. "I know. I know. So, are you okay now?"

Rukia nodded with a small smile.

"Good. Now I want you to get yourself in the shower and get dressed. I'm taking you out for some real food. I can only assume you've been living off pop-tarts and croutons," Orihime said with an all-knowing smile.

Rukia let out a chuckle. "You know me too well. I'll go pull myself together then," she said making her way out of the room.

"So how much did you get done exactly?" Orihime yelled from to the next room as she approached the laptop.

Rukia yelled back, "I'm on chapter eight. Help yourself, if you want."

Orihime walked over and sat down as she scrolled up to the beginning. "That's a lot of writing. It wasn't triggered by anything in particular, was it?" she said in a suggestive tone with a smirk on her face.

"Shut it! The only thing that moron triggered was a potential ass-whooping for anyone that pisses me off about the subject!" the woman yelled from the next room. The shower went on seconds later.

* * *

"So you've been hanging out with Uryuu, huh?" Rukia smirked and raised an eyebrow at the fact as she took another bite of her burger.

Orihime blushed slightly from the remark. "Yeah. I don't know what happened. I mean, I used to have such a big crush on him in high school. Then we went our separate ways and I never tired anything. He's so shy. It's adorable," Orihime found herself staring into space as she spoke about someone who gave her butterflies.

Rukia couldn't help but grin. "Come back down to earth now, Orihime. You said, you were treating me to lunch remember? I can't have you taking off on me now," she joked.

Orihime smiled, not helping the matter. "Sorry." Then, her phone went off. "Oh sorry, one second." She frowned with confusion. "But isn't Mizuiro supposed to be covering that?" Her face immediately brightened up. "I'll be there right away! Thank you!" she hung up and started to rummage through her purse.

Rukia raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Where ya off to?"

"They read my report on your book signing. They loved its character and everything so they decided to give me an interview with the recently instituted pop diva we saw on television today!" she pulled out her wallet.

"That's amazing, Orihime! Great job!" Rukia said with excitement.

Orihime then gave a sad face, "I'm sorry I'm ditching you for this."

Rukia gave an understanding smile. "Honestly, if you didn't ditch me for this, I would hurt you," she responded with a chuckle. "And put your wallet away. I've got it."

Orihime shook her head. "No, it's the least I can do for slipping out early. Besides, I said I was treating you anyway," she said placing money on the table and then standing up.

Orihime bent down and hugged Rukia, as the smaller woman said, "Good luck," in her ear.

"Thanks. See ya," the strawberry blonde said and then exited.

Rukia sighed and finished her last few fries before standing up and making her way to the door. By the time she opened the door it was too late. The flashes went berserk and the crowd of paparazzi was shoving microphones in her face. Aside from that, there was another crowd around them of curious people, hoping to get an eye on the celebrity.

"Is it true you are now dating possibly the most famous musician of our time?"

"Are you aware of the amount of heart-broken females in the world because of your new relationship with Kurosaki?"

"How did it all begin?"

"You two are an adorable couple. What made you pick him out of the many dying to woo you?"

Rukia held up her hands to calm them down a bit and put on her fake smile. "Well actually, Ichigo and I are not a couple. We're childhood friends. That's it. Nothing more." She began to push her way through; ignoring more questions, but before she made it out of the crowd of paparazzi and into the civilian crowd, another man stood in front of her.

"Are you sure there is nothing going on? These pictures show something else," he said holding the picture that was probably known by the whole world now, in front of her face.

Her eyes continued to stare at the picture for a few good seconds before they began to burn holes through it. Her breathing grew heavy.

"Looks like you were all over each other to me," he added as flashes continued to blind her.

She quickly turned her head to the man and without a second thought, she threw her fist into his jaw causing a loud gasp to fill the air, but the cameras didn't stop. _God forbid_ the cameras stop. The man was now on the floor and Rukia made it her goal to get the hell out of there before something bad happens.

She made it into the civilian crowd, but then she was grabbed by the arm and pulled away down a nearby alley. She continued to be pulled by someone wearing a motorcycle helmet until they made it out into a parking garage. She yanked her arm away and glared at whoever pulled her; ready to give them a piece of her mind until they turned to face her and pulled off their motorcycle helmet.

"Well if you wanted to make the news two nights in a row, you could have been less violent about it. You'll be lucky if the guy doesn't press charges!" he said in disbelief, holding his helmet under his arm.

She glared. "You are seriously the last person I want to see right now," she spat at him.

"I didn't do anything. Don't blame this on me. That picture was just taken at the wrong time," he said defensively.

"Oh god! Just shut up," she said in a tired tone as she buried her face in her hands. "Just shut up and let me think."

He made a loud sigh and watched as she breathed in and out slowly with her hands still covering her face.

"Oh god, I don't even have a way to get home! Orihime drove me!" she said losing all hope and leaning against a nearby car.

Ichigo looked at her with a tiny bit of pity. "I'll take you home."

She let out a fake laugh. "Oh yeah. That'll happen," she said sarcastically.

He scowled at her. "I'm serious. You don't have a ride and you'll be attacked by another group like those back there if you try to walk home," he said pointing in a direction like he could still see the mob.

She looked at him and spoke in her same sharp attitude. "And if they see me with you they'll just make more ridiculous assumptions!"

He smirked, "They won't see you," he said holding his helmet to her.

She stared at it for a moment and then frowned. She turned her head to look away, but spoke. "But- don't you need one?" she said in a monotone, trying to sound like she doesn't care.

He smirked even more. "Does it really matter to you? I thought splitting my head open would sound good to you right now?" he said jokingly.

She couldn't help but let out a chuckle and a small smirk. "You know me too well," she said grabbing the helmet and putting it on. He nodded and began to walk away as she followed.

He sat down on his bike and put on a pair of sunglasses as he started it up. He then turned and noticed how she just stood there, not getting on. He raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"I always hated this thing. It scared me to death whenever you made me get on the back of it," she said with attitude.

"Well this isn't the same bike," he said in response, being a smartass.

She huffed loudly and sat behind him. She put her arms on his back to brace herself before Ichigo spoke again with a big grin on his face, "This one can go faster."

And he hit the gas, causing her to wrap her arms completely around his waist as she let out a screech.

* * *

When he pulled up to her house the man at the gate let them through, so he pulled up to her front door.

He got off the bike and then held out his hand to help her off, which she hesitantly took. She took off her helmet, revealing a breath taken face that wanted to fall to the ground.

"Too fast?" he said sarcastically.

She was too tired or too shaken up to glare, but instead settled for an insult. "You're an ass," she said shoving his helmet into his stomach and brushing past him and going to her door.

He coughed a little from the impact of the helmet and then began to get on his bike again before she turned around and looked at him again. "Why were you there anyway?"

"No reason. Just walking by."

She squinted at him. "I don't believe you."

He shrugged, "Suit yourself," he said staring the motorcycle up.

She then got his attention again, "Hey." He looked up at her in response. "Thank you. For- ya know, helping me out back there. Not just with the ride; the whole crowd thing too," she said awkwardly.

He smirked at her. "No problem. If I ever knock some guy out who is asking annoying questions, you better be there to bail me out."

She let a smile grace her face unknowingly and shook her head.

"I'll see ya," he said.

"We'll see about that."

He smirked, "That's not a 'no.'"

She raised an eyebrow, "That's not a 'yes,' either."

He chuckled, "We'll see about that," he said finally before putting on his helmet and speeding off.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Phew. All in one sitting. I'm beat. Hope you enjoyed it, I didn't proof read at all. Tell me what you think. Later


	5. Dizzy

**A/N:** Chapter 5! It's out and about now. It's named after "Dizzy," by Jimmy Eat World. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I have nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 5: Dizzy_

"What? Don't look at me like that! Don't judge me! You don't know what happened!" Rukia said in defense, only receiving looks that said they didn't believe her. She was sitting on a couch in her living room, with Orihime sitting on the edge next to her. Rangiku stood leaning against the wall ten feet away and Momo sat on the arm of a recliner.

"Oh yeah? Then what _did_ happen? We were already filled in on the photo explanation from Orihime. What's your excuse for this one?" Rangiku said pointing her thumb behind her to the television. It showed a clip of Rukia delivering a nice polisher to a photographer's face. They replayed it about five times before saying the photographer had decided to press charges for the assault.

Rukia sighed. "He deserved it really," she said under her breath, avoiding eye contact with the three of them as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"And why is that? You do know you could go to jail for this, right?" Momo questioned in concern.

"He threw this picture in my face and kept saying shit that wasn't true!" she yelled with anger flaming off her tongue. She held the paper up in front of her to show them, which had a huge picture plastered all over it of that night, and then next to one of her knocking out the photographer.

"Woa! Someone call the fire department because someone needs to be hosed down…" Rangiku said holding her hands up to show no offense.

Rukia exhaled sharply. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "You want to hear something more ridiculous?" she said in an amused tone, laced in the feeling of being pathetic.

"Sure," Orihime said, "But first give me that. It's probably best if we throw this out," she said taking the newspaper out of her hands.

Momo nodded, "I'll take care of the television," she said hitting the power button.

"Who needs television? Honestly?" Rangiku added. Rukia just raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"Go ahead," Orihime urged after throwing the paper into the garbage bin.

"I- um I well," Rukia stuttered, feeling awkward about actually admitting something she did. "Ichigo got me out of that stupid mess and gave me a ride home."

The three stood there kind of dumbfounded. They didn't have anything really to say at first. What she had just said went against everything they had heard or learned about, dealing with the subject of Ichigo Kurosaki. It went around any logic Rukia Kuchiki had lived by for the past two years. Finally, one spoke.

"What in the hell compelled you to do that?" Rangiku bluntly said.

Rukia bowed her head towards her lap. "I don't know," was muffled from her mouth being covered. She popped her head back up, "I didn't even give that much of a fight about it either," she whined before burying her face again.

"Well, you didn't really have a choice," Orihime said sadly and then turned to Rangiku and Momo. "I kinda left her without a ride home. I was in a hurry and-"

"It's fine, Orihime. You were excited. I get it. I don't blame you," Rukia said in a tired tone.

There was a moment of silence before Momo spoke up. "Well, I think it's best if we forget about that at the moment and focus on getting you a lawyer."

"A damn good one, I might add," Rangiku said casually.

"I agree," Orihime chimed in. "And there is only one that I can think of for the job."

The three girls looked at each other with a nod, while Rukia sat there in confusion. "Wait, who- Oh no," she said in realization. She was determined to avoid this. "There's no way. There is just no way!" she said standing up and making her way to the kitchen to get herself some coffee.

The three followed close behind her as Momo started, "Come on, Rukia. This isn't the time to be picky. You know he's great at his job. Remember that time when Rangiku got drunk at Renji's birthday party last year and she ended up running naked out of the mansion? She went all over the city and even walked through a drive-through and ordered fries in nothing but her skin."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. She was arrested for indecent exposure. We had to go and bail her out," Rukia said with irritation, but a tinge of amusement. They made it to the kitchen by then.

Rangiku was now leaning on the island in the middle of the room on her elbow so that she was holding up her chin with her palm. "That was one of the best nights of my life even if it did involve me sharing a cell with some beastly woman named Strang Aler," she said in a dreamy tone. "Must have been Norwegian or something," she said taking it into deep thought.

Orihime nodded in agreement with the assumption, while Rukia and Momo stared at the two in disbelief and shook their heads as they tried to push their friends' obliviousness aside.

"The point is, Rukia, that he was the one that got Rangiku scot-free of the charge," Momo said, changing the subject.

"Yeah, he did," Rukia agreed in sarcasm as she poured some sugar into her coffee. "His defensive stance was saying that 'her beautiful body shouldn't be hidden from the world,'" she mimicked him saying it to the judge.

Rangiku grinned at the memory and Orihime giggled due to this being the first time she had actually heard the story. Rukia had emailed her about the events, but the details were vague.

"Yes, he did say that, but he _also_ said that it was not necessarily her fault," Momo defended. She then turned to Orihime to explain. "He pointed his finger at the guards at the gate of the mansion, saying that they were hired to keep the gates locked from any uninvited guests. Therefore, the gates should have been locked anyway. So if it was that simple for an intoxicated person to breech, then they weren't doing their job correctly," she said as if she was defending Rangiku at that very moment.

Orihime nodded slowly, mouthing a long 'oh,' in understanding.

"You have to admit, that's proof that he has some skill," Rangiku said urging the raven haired woman to agree.

Rukia huffed loudly as she picked up coffee. "I never said he wasn't good at his job. I just don't like the fact of who he is exactly," she finished by taking a careful sip out of her mug that said, "Caution _Moron_: Hot!"

Then, the doorbell rang. Rukia raised an eyebrow and turned her head in the direction of the door, while her lips still touched the rim of her mug. She then looked back at her friends to see if they had any idea.

Momo avoided eye contact by looking up at the ceiling as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Rangiku stood up straight and crossed her arms over her chest while a smirk graced her lips. Orihime was shocked by how quickly their guest had arrived and her face showed it.

Rukia glared at the three in suspicion as she made her way to the door with her mug in hand. Orihime hurried after her, "Rukia! We didn't know he'd be here so fast! We were going to tell you, but it took longer than expected!"

Rukia made her way through her house with Orihime yelling a few feet behind her. The other two were right behind Orihime.

Rukia finally opened the door, causing her mouth to fall slightly ajar.

"I heard you were in need of a lawyer," he said with a genuine smile as he stood in a suit and tie, only his suit jacket was draped over his shoulder with one hand, while the other was holding a briefcase at his side.

* * *

"You know what, Chad? You could be a little bit more supportive," Ichigo said in annoyance as he sat at the edge of a couch next to his tall, muscular friend. They were playing a video game and the death match was getting intense.

"I'm just saying, if she cries every time you try to talk to her, then you're probably best not to bother her," he said moving his body as if it could help as he hit the buttons on his controller.

"She didn't cry the last time I talked to her and I even saw- Haha! I just grenaded your ass, big guy!" Ichigo responded with a cheer and a grin as he kept his eyes on the screen. He then continued what he was saying, "I even saw her smile. I hadn't seen her smile at me since, well, I can't even remember."

Chad furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. "Well, Rukia isn't a cold hearted person. You can't expect her to glare at every single thing you do."

Chad had just sniped Ichigo out with one shot. "Agh!" Ichigo responded. "I know she's not, but I know she's stubborn as hell."

"_That_ I agree with," was heard from behind. Ichigo looked over his shoulder for a millisecond and then back at the screen. Ishida stood behind the couch with a coke in his hand after placing two other cans down beside him for the two playing.

"What happened to the beer?" Ichigo asked.

"Couldn't find any," Ishida responded as he watched the screen intently.

"Oh right. I forgot to refill the fridge when I got back. Haven't been food shopping yet," Chad responded. He had been gone for a week after going on a trip to get some snowboarding done. He was a professional and even won a silver medal, but it was in the off-season at the moment. He would take little trips like that to make sure he didn't lose his stability in his profession.

"Bummer," Ichigo replied. "Oh and you two better show up later. I need all the help I can get."

"What's 'later'?" Chad asked, being clueless. Ishida took another sip of his coke. "Yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ichigo made a loud huff in irritation. "I told you both two days ago!" He looked at them hoping it would trigger a memory, but it was to his disappointment. "I'm hosting a charity event for the children's hospital?" he tried again to remind them. "I invited a bunch of celebs?" He looked at them expectantly, but it looked like this was the first time they heard this. "God damn, just be there at three," he said picking up the soda and opening it.

The two nodded in agreement. "Sure, but back to the 'Rukia' issue. How do you think you're going to see her again? I mean, I think your best bet is to make it seem like a coincidence that you meet again. It was too close last time," Ishida said before taking a drink out of his can.

"Yeah, I know. But I was lucky you told me Orihime was taking her for lunch. Otherwise, I couldn't have gotten her out of that mess and I couldn't have gotten a step closer to her forgiving me," he replied, gritting his teeth at the game.

"You're welcome. And Chad just owned you," Ishida said calmly as he saw Chad win the match. Chad stood up and silently raised both his arms in accomplishment.

"Damn," Ichigo said in exhaustion as he continued to stare at the screen or more like through the screen.

"Ichigo," Chad said with a serious tone. "Not to sound cruel or anything-"

"Spit it out, Chad," Ichigo said sharply as he continued to stare into the screen.

Chad stared at his friend for a moment, "What makes you think she'll ever love you again?"

Ichigo was silent, but then he spoke softly. "I don't care about that. I just want my best friend back."

Ishida spoke up now, slightly surprised. "Are you saying you don't… love her?"

The orange headed man was silent once again and continued to stare straight ahead. Then, he spoke. "No. Not anymore."

They sat there in silence. Chad and Ishida stared at their friend with confusion. They could have sworn that he still had feelings for the girl, but it was either he was in denial or he truly didn't.

Ishida scratched the back of his neck and then spoke. "Oh, you heard about how that guy is pressing charges against her for knocking him out, right?" Ishida said, trying to steer away from the awkward moment.

"Yeah," Ichigo said in a disappointing tone. "I figured he would too." He then turned to look between his two friends. "And guess who her lawyer is."

* * *

"K-Kaien!" Rukia exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" she questioned knowing full well why he was there, but still couldn't believe it.

"Rangiku called me. You do need a lawyer still, right?" he asked almost uncomfortably.

"Uh- yes! I mean, well, I was just surprised to see you, that's all!" she said eagerly with a fake smile.

"Good!" he said with another smile placed on his face.

"Follow me into the kitchen. I'll get you a drink," Rukia said as she ran into the three who finally caught up.

"Hello ladies," he said politely with a smile as they met his eyes.

"Hey there, Kurosaki. How's it been?" Rangiku asked casually with a smile.

"It's been good. What about you? I heard you were planning to expand your company." he asked interestedly.

"Yes, I was actually. Wow, news travels fast," she stated with a 'humph.'

"Hey Kaien," Orihime said with a sweet smile.

"Orihime Inoue? Is that you?" he asked squinting with a curious smile. She nodded. "I haven't seen you years! You look so different! But in a good way, mind you."

She blushed slightly. "It's good to see you too."

"Careful, Kaien. Don't let Uryuu hear you say anything like that. They're dating now," Momo added with a mischievous smile. This caused Orihime to blush even more.

Kaien put his hands up to show no offense. "The man can't shoot me for stating the truth, now can he?"

Rukia put her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "I don't mean to interrupt anything, but I would like to hurry this up a little. I have some things I need to do today."

"Ah, sorry, Kuchiki. You're completely right. Let's do this," he said in an understanding tone.

"Alright, well I have to go meet Uryuu in twenty minutes for the children's hospital event. So I'll call you later Rukia," Orihime said heading out of the door.

"Yeah, and I've got to go take Momo for some shopping. She needs my help to pick something out for her to wear when she goes on that talk show tomorrow," Rangiku explained pushing Momo towards the door.

"We'll see ya, Rukia!" Momo said with a wave of her hand as the two followed Orihime out of the door.

"Right. So do you need a drink?" Rukia asked after turning to Kaien.

"No, I'm fine. Let's just get this started, shall we?" he asked with a smile. She nodded and led him into the living room. She sat down on the couch she had moments ago been sitting on with Orihime, only now it was Kaien in her friend's place.

She couldn't believe it actually. She hadn't spoken to the eldest Kurosaki child since he went off to college. That was four years ago. Three years before it all changed for the Kurosaki family.

He opened his briefcase and pulled out a manila folder and placed it on his lap. He looked up suddenly. He looked deep into her violet eyes, which startled her. Her eyes went even wider, allowing him to see more.

"Before we get into this, I need you to answer me straight out," he began with a serious tone matching with his serious face. His casual and laid back attitude that she had known growing up and had been reacquainted with just moments ago disappeared. He was getting down to business; something she didn't expect.

He continued without waiting for an answer. "I would usually start off asking if you did in fact do what you have been accused of, but since the entire world can Google the evidence of you knocking the shit out of that photographer, I figured we could skip that question," he said with a slight smirk, which quickly diminished before the next question.

"Why did you do it?" he added before she could feel even a little embarrassed from his first statement.

She knew exactly why she did it. She didn't have a problem admitting it either. What the problem really was was the fact of who it was she had to admit it to; Kaien Kurosaki, older brother of the reason she was in this mess.

So she decided to buy herself some time in order to decide what to do about the situation. "Why did I do it?" she repeated the question as she stared blankly at him.

He raised an eyebrow slightly. "Yes. Why did you do it?"

"Well, you see…" she started before drifting off and looking away towards the floor.

"Rukia," he said sternly, causing her to jolt her head up from the floor. "I can't help you unless you tell me," he said sincerely.

She sighed, finally realizing she had to speak. "They all were asking me about your damn brother and if we were dating. Most of them didn't even ask that and just started making assumptions. It was getting to me. Then this guy comes up and shoves that damn picture in my face, saying something about how the picture shows otherwise. And then I lost it," she said with her annoyance showing towards the end of her explanation.

He nodded. He already knew it was something along the lines of that, but he needed to hear it from his client's lips.

"It just pushed you too far, huh?" he asked, letting his business attitude falter.

Rukia was getting a little more comfortable. "It's just a touchy subject for me. Ichigo and I- we have a past. One that left great memories, yeah," she said as if answering her own question. "But it also left painful ones. To have them keep pushing it on me like that- they don't know what it's doing to me," she said letting herself be vulnerable in front of him surprisingly.

He gave her a soft, understanding smile. "I got ya, Kuchiki. I can't even imagine what it was like for you being alone with him during that time." His face was now apologetic, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to help. If I had been, I might have been able to prevent all of the stuff between you tw-" he began but was cut off by Rukia holding her hand up to stop him.

"No. It wasn't your fault, Kaien. It happened on its own. I'm glad you didn't have to see your brother like that," she said with pain showing on her face even though she tried to hide it.

Kaien still felt regret. Sure he didn't have to see him in that state but he was his older brother. It was his job to look after him and he didn't.

His mind snapped back to the present and he saw Rukia staring off into a different world with her eyes glanced down towards the table where his briefcase sat. She really was different. He remembered the way she was when she was ten years old. She kicked Ichigo's ass way back then. Now, the woman sitting in front of him was like a stranger. She was distant and seemed exhausted.

"What happened to you, Rukia?" he asked softly, causing her to look back at him with surprise.

"What?" she asked with wide eyes.

"You're so different. I know it's been a few years, but this isn't the woman I remember at all. The 'Rukia' I grew up with was spunky and had that rebellious attitude that could kick anyone's ass for even thinking about back-talking you."

She let out a single chuckle as she stared into her lap with silence.

"It's like you ran out of gas and are stuck on the side of the road," he said tilting his head slightly to catch a better glimpse at her face.

She chuckled a little more, and then spoke with sad amusement. "I guess the tow truck still hasn't come yet."

"You could always ask for a ride, Rukia," he said sincerely as she raised her head to stare straight into his eyes.

"Are you going to give me a ride, Kaien?" she asked with a sad smile.

He smiled, "You wouldn't let me," he started. "You're still waiting for that tow truck to come."

She frowned slightly in disappointment. "Why?" she asked softly.

He still smiled sweetly, even though she was showing melancholy. "Because it's too precious for you to leave behind."

She exhaled, closed her eyes and shook her head. "I can't. I can't do this, Kaien. It's too hard."

He placed his hand gently on her forearm to grab her attention. "No matter what happens, he's always going to be someone important in your life. He's your friend, Rukia. And whether you want to admit it or not, you've missed that guy who knew exactly when you were upset, even though you tried to hide it. You miss that guy who knew everything about you, so you never had to explain yourself. You miss that guy who was willing to give you his shirt after you lost your bikini top in the pool filter," he added with a smirk.

"Hey! He said he never told anyone about that!" she exclaimed in disbelief. He ignored her exclaim as he continued to smirk and continue his speech.

"But most of all, you miss _him_. And I'm not saying anything about _feelings_ or anything, so don't go taking my advice as something it's not," he said defensively seeing the look she was giving him. "All I'm saying is that it's been long enough. You guys were always close, even before you two hooked up. So stop pushing something you want out of your life. Let the past go already. It's obvious he's changed from the miserable mess he used to be."

She sighed and looked away from him. "Kaien?" she asked softly. "Yeah?" he answered.

"What if I can't promise you that I'll change anything? It's just… not as simple as you think," she said innocently.

He smiled sadly at her. "Rukia," he started which caused her to look back at him. "I'm not doing this for just my brother. So don't act like you'd be doing me any favors. I'm saying all of this so that you'll do yourself a favor."

She gave him a pitiful smile, "Thanks. But I still don't know if I can't do that yet. 'Friends' is a stage I'll have to work myself into if anything."

He nodded a few times, "Just think about it." He started to put things back into his briefcase and then stood up.

"Wait. We barely discussed anything," Rukia said eagerly, seeing he was getting ready to leave.

He smiled down at her, "I think we said more than enough. Don't worry. I'll cook up some bullshit excuse and you'll be out of this in no time. I've got to go meet another client," he said beginning to make his way towards the door. She got up and followed him.

They stood at the door for a moment and he smiled down on her, "I'll be calling you."

She smiled back and for the first time today, he got a glimpse of the young girl he remembered. "Thanks, Kaien. For everything."

He then reached out and quickly wrapped his arms around her, which she was startled by at first, but then relaxed into his embrace. "Anytime," he said into her ear and then backed away.

He walked out of the door and before she shut it behind him, he turned. "I almost forgot. There's a charity event today. It's supposed to be raising money for the children's hospital, but the main thing is to spend time with the kids. Maybe you should check it out. Besides, it's not a bad thing to do charity work when you're being sued," he said with a suggestive smirk. He then turned around and gave a wave without looking back.

Rukia had an understanding look on her face as she shook her head at his constant attempt, although he did have a point about the lawsuit part. She then shut the door and slid her back against the door. She took a deep breath.

She then made her way upstairs and into her bedroom where she stood in front of her mirror. She took in her appearance. Was she really that different? What ever happened to the girl of three years ago? Was she _so_ exhausted? This was a revelation for her. She didn't want to be different. She didn't want to be exhausted.

Her eye caught sight of her dresser. There wasn't anything in particular that attracted her to it, but at that moment, it must have been her subconscious mind that led her to it. She walked over to her dresser and pulled open the drawer where a small box rested. The box contained the few possessions of her past that she still had.

She took it to her bed and sat down with it on her lap. She pulled out an envelop with '_Rukia'_ written on it. Then, she pulled out a small pocket sized notebook that said '_Private'_ on it and placed it next to the envelop.

Finally, she got to a picture. The two of them were not facing the camera, but instead, each other. He had his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, while she had her arms wrapped around his neck. She was laughing, while he grinned at her; their foreheads touching. It really was a great picture. She smiled at it, surprisingly.

She then saw the small, hand sized Chappy stuffed animal that said '_Best Friend'_ on its stomach. He had given that to her for her twelfth birthday. She held it tightly and then thought of the present situation.

She could stay home; write a few more chapters due to sudden inspiration, or she could go help out with the children's hospital. She was also a selfless person, so deep down she knew which one she would pick, its just it wasn't that simple.

He was going to be there. She heard about the event a week ago. He always had a weakness for kids, so even if she didn't hear about him running it, she knew he would probably be there anyway. She then took another deep breath and then looked at her watch; quarter after two. She looked at the stuffed animal one last time before nodding to it as if giving it an answer.

"I guess I should get ready," she said lazily to herself as got ready to take a shower.

* * *

"Alright, so repeat that again? What did you want to do?" Ichigo asked the two standing in front of him again. He thought he misunderstood them.

"We want to teach a few kids some boxing lessons," Tatsuki repeated with Renji nodding in agreement.

Ichigo looked at them with disbelief. "The kids are in a hos-pi-tal! You can't just have them throwing punches at each other! They end up knocking IVs out and- god, it's just a terrible idea!" he shot them down immediately.

Tatsuki frowned and crossed her arms over her chest as Renji huffed, "A simple 'no' would have worked too, ya know."

Ichigo sighed. "How about you just have Tatsuki show a few moves on you, Renji? Kids love seeing that kind of thing," he suggested.

Tatsuki grinned wickedly as she turned to Renji and eyed him. "I like that idea," she said which scared Renji a little. She grabbed his forearm and began to drag him away.

"Hey! That's not fair! You're a frigen' professional boxer!" he complained.

"Ah, don't be such a pansy!" Ichigo yelled with a grin, knowing that he'd probably come out of this with a black eye.

Ichigo turned around to a table he had been organizing forms and plans out on. He stood, leaning down slightly to sift through them, but through the crowd of volunteers his eyes caught someone unexpected.

She was wearing a pair of low waist, tight jeans, along with a pair of black Diesels. A buttoned down, short sleeved red blouse with a red camisole underneath it fit her upper body with an attractive grace.

He couldn't turn to look at her completely. He didn't want to come off as a desperate man, but who was he kidding? He knew he was one. So he stood there going through a stack of papers as she continued to come straight towards him.

_You close your eyes and kiss your hand, then you blow it  
But it isn't meant for me, and I noticed  
If the choice was ours alone, then why'd we both choose letting go?  
Does it end like this?_

He saw her turn and wave to Orihime, who was making her way into a room with a tray of ice cream cartons on it. Her smile was true and he took as much time to enjoy the look of it as he could. 'She used to feel that way towards me. She used to brighten up every time I walked into the room,' he thought sadly.

_Time never had a chance to heal your heart  
Just a number always counting down to a new start  
If you always knew the truth then the world will spin around you  
Are you dizzy yet?_

She turned her head back to her destination. He seemed focused on something, on what, she didn't know. Maybe he was organizing details of the event, but his mind did not seem to be where his body was. After waving to Orihime she realized she shouldn't be smiling so freely. She didn't want him to think everything was 'A-Okay.'

_Respectfully so in honesty I'm calling out  
Do you hear the conversation we talk about?  
I'll back away to the safety of a quiet house  
If there's half a chance in this moment  
When your eyes meet mine, we show it off_

He continued to question the situation. 'Why the hell is she here? She knew I was going to be here. I know she knew that. What happened to her still holding that grudge? She never let's go that easily,' he debated with himself. To walk the distance that he saw her from originally was taking a lifetime.

_All talk and not a lot to think, we're living dreams  
And shame never crept close to our naked feet  
If there's something left to lose  
Then don't let me wear out my shoes  
That I still walk in_

'Okay, start breathing, Rukia. Just breathe. The last thing you want is for him to see you anything but calm. You don't want him thinking this is a bigger deal than you want him to think. Just hold onto that not-caring-about-him attitude and keep a tinge of bitterness. It's a small start, but it's still a start,' she instructed herself as she almost made it.

_I tried, but it rang and rang, I called all night  
On a payphone, remember those from another life?  
If everything I meant to you  
You can't lick and seal then fold in two  
Then I've been so blind_

'Don't freak out. Don't look needy. Don't say anything that'll ruin everything,' he directed himself. 'If she was still so pissed, she wouldn't be here in the same place as you. She wants to talk to you. Why else would she be coming this way? What changed her mind?'

_Respectfully, so in honesty I'm asking now  
Do you hear the conversation we talk about?  
I'll back the way to the safety of a quiet house  
If there's half a chance in this moment  
When your eyes meet mine, we show it off_

She finally made it to the table as she watched him hunched over to reach the table. She was standing to his left when she finally spoke. "What do you want me to do?" she asked emotionless.

He finally turned; his amber met her violet. It was different then the first few times it had happened. It wasn't a surprise, a relief, a struggle, or a painful feeling in the chest; it was almost welcomed; almost time-turning.

_Aw, aw take it all back, take your first, your last, your only  
Aw, aw take it all back, take it all back, everything you showed me  
Aw, aw this must be how it feels  
And the feeling goes on..._

He smiled softly at her as she stood there being slightly distant. "You could read to a room of nine year olds. I hear you're good with books," he suggested with the smile never leaving his face. He saw a glint in her eye and the corner of her lips twitch. She looked away for a second to get a hold of herself and then turned back to him.

_I told you as I haven't, I never felt this way  
You said I have the shot that stops my clock  
Baby it's okay  
You said you never have regrets  
Jesus, is there someone yet who got that wish?  
Did you get yours, babe?_

She let a slight smile show on her face from his effort to make everything right again. That's why she was there after all. Some part of her wanted everything to be right again; some part of her wanted her friend back even after everything that had happened. The human emotions will never truly be understood.

_Respectfully, so in honesty I'm asking now  
Do you hear the conversation we talk about?  
I'll back away to the safety of a quiet house  
If there's half a chance in this moment  
When your eyes meet mine, we show it off._

"Care to show me which room?" she said with the small smile still gracing her lips. Their eyes were still searching each others for meaning. They weren't ready to be deceived for more pain, but they _were_ ready to take a chance for something they've been missing. For the first time in a long time, they saw eye to eye; they saw hope.

"Of course. Follow me," he said with a smile and then led her in the right direction.

_When your eyes meet mine, we show it off...

* * *

_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well this is a longer chapter, huh? I don't really know if anything important happened. There was a lot of detail, but the only main thing that you should get out of this, is that Rukia is beginning to give 'friends' a shot. Hmm, well tell me what you think. Later


	6. Trip

**A/N:** Okay, this hasn't been updated in forever. It is March, I haven't updated since January. I suck. I guess I was too into These Days, but I haven't updated that in awhile, so… And sorry. No proof reading once again. Anyways, this chapter takes place in a short period of time. It's named after "Trip," by Hedley. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Never in my wildest dreams.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 6: Trip_

He was buttoning his black vest over his bright purple dress shirt, while he stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom. He took a glance at his watch and grunted. He was already on his way for not being on time and it was not the right occasion to be fashionably late.

Then, he heard a gasp from his door and looked up to the mirror to see the reflection of the intruder. "I knew it! You really are a gigolo!" she said crossing her arms over her chest with a smirk. "And by the looks of it, you might be a gay one…"

He glared at the raven haired woman through the mirror. He then looked down at his outfit. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" he said with attitude before he looked back in the mirror at himself.

She then walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder as she stared with him into the mirror. "When did I ever say anything about your outfit?" she said with a smile and a raised eyebrow. 

She heard a growl coming from deep down in his throat and chuckled. She then turned him towards her with the hand she had placed on his shoulder. She looked down at his almost buttoned up vest and shook her head as she began to unbutton it. "You cannot pull off this outfit and with these colors, no less."

He raised an eyebrow at her unbuttoning his vest. A lot had changed in a few months. There was no way she would be standing there taking off his clothes three months ago. Well, she wasn't necessarily taking off his clothes. It wasn't like he was stripping off everything, but still. 

Ever since the charity event they had become more content with each other. She took a step closer to him that day when she asked if she could help. It was then that Ichigo realized she had given him another chance. The next day, Ichigo went to give Rukia a gift that one of the kids she read to, made for her. When he got to her house, she was in the middle of trying to fix the sink in her kitchen, which she had successfully flooded the floor in her attempt. After prying the wrench out of her grasp, he took over. Ever since then, they had been hanging around each other as if they always had been. 

Rukia was on the second to last button when she glanced up at a staring orange headed man. "What are you staring at, Kurosaki?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"I can undress myself, you know," he commented with a smile almost escaping.

She suddenly felt a tinge of embarrassment from her act. She swallowed before replying quickly in order to show her awkward feeling. "Well I wasn't sure, considering you obviously can't dress yourself," she said letting go of the vest and turning towards the closet. 

"Did you seriously come here just to insult me?" he asked with a glare as he watched her disappear into his walk-in closet. 

"Although that does sound like fun," he heard her yell from inside before she showed herself holding a blue button down shirt with black stripes. "I actually came here for this exact reason."

"What?" he asked in confusion as he threw his vest on the floor and she approached him with the newly acquired shirt.

"You're going on Orihime's show tonight. She interviews all the big stars now. If you go on there looking like… _that_, you can kiss your goal of being "Sexiest Man Alive" goodbye." Orihime had moved quickly through the ranks and for the past month and a half, she had been given her own interviewing show that airs once a week. Not only is it at prime time, but it is live.

"So you think I have a chance, huh?" he said with a smirk. 

She glared, "You know what? I should have just let you go on live television looking like that. It would have given me a nice hard laugh," she said bitterly.

He took a step closer and pinched her cheek lightly. "Aw, you're so cute when you're bitter," he said in a mock tone. 

She shoved his arm away and pegged the shirt at his face. "Put it on and shut up."

He chuckled as he unbuttoned his purple shirt revealing his chiseled chest. Rukia's eyes settled on his toned skin and watched as more and more of it was exposed as he continued to unbutton in what seemed like slow motion. Then she saw the scar located just around where is heart was. It suddenly hit her how she was staring, so she turned away quickly. 

"So, you do realize you are going to be late if you don't leave in about three minutes, right?" she said as she went to stare at pictures on a dresser. There was one of Chad, Ichigo and Uryuu standing next to each other smiling with their arms around each other's shoulders. Another was of Orihime waving, while Tatsuki had her arm wrapped around Orihime's neck loosely and rested her chin on the waving girl's shoulder from behind. Then, there was one of the Kurosaki family; the _entire_ Kurosaki family; Ichigo, Isshin, Yuzu, Karin, Kaien and Masaki. They all looked so young and happy in the picture. It triggered a sad smile from Rukia.

"Yeah, I know. Tie or no tie?" he questioned as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"No tie," she replied without looking. She then saw the last picture on the dresser. She bit her lip at the sight of it. Rukia remembered exactly when it was taken. The two of them were in her room and he was lying on her bed waiting for her to get over her urge to get something on paper. She was sitting at her desk in front of a window with her pen held lightly under chin as she thought. He had called her name and when she turned to look at him he had snapped the picture. Her head was slightly tilted to the side with the pen still held lightly under her chin. Her hair was pinned up in a loose bun with strands framing her face and her lips revealed a smile that began to approach the surface. 

Rukia was still stunned to see this picture as she reached out to touch it, but Ichigo's voice penetrated her thoughts.

"God, I got to go. Any advice?" he said turning around to face her.

She blinked a few times before registering what he said. She then smiled sincerely. "Be honest. If you lie, it'll most likely be found out. And when people find out that someone they love lies to them, they lose faith in them."

Ichigo took her words to heart and nodded in understanding. He then walked out of the door, leaving Rukia to stare at her picture again. Suddenly, she felt arms wrap around her before she could see anyone. "Thanks for coming to my rescue," he said softly into her ear before pulling away. 

She blinked a few times and turned to watch him fly out of the room. 

* * *

Rukia flopped down on her couch and turned on the television. She had a water bottle in her hand as her cell phone on the coffee table buzzed. She leaned over and picked it up. There was a text message from Rangiku. _"Ready to watch your sexy musician?"_

"_Fuck off. I'm just hoping he doesn't make an ass out of himself," _Rukia texted back.

Ten seconds later she got another message, "_Aren't you the caring girlfriend…"_

Then, the music of the show kicked on with the title appearing on the screen, _The Secret's In The Telling_. Rukia texted back, "_Shut up. It's on."_

_Orihime appeared sitting down in a chair next to Ichigo on a couch. "Welcome back to __**The Secret's In The Telling**__! Tonight I'll be interviewing heartthrob, Ichigo Kurosaki." This made Ichigo smirk as he looked down to his lap and then back up._

"_So, Ichigo. Let's get right into this. Shall we?"_

"_Sure. Bring it on," he said with a soft smile._

"_Okay, so let's start where you grew up."_

"_I grew up in a place called Karakura Town. It's… well, you can't really say it's calm. You might think that if you just walked in and looked around, but it always had something going on. Everyone might not be able to really see that though."_

_Orihime nodded, "So why don't you tell us who exactly you grew up with? Most people probably have no idea the connections you have."_

_Ichigo smirked. "Well who should I begin with, Orihime? Maybe I should start with saying I've known __**you**__ since we were thirteen." He turned to face the camera, "And she's always loved mixing the strangest foods together."_

"_Hey! Everyone loves it when I cook!" Orihime said in defense. Ichigo turned back to the camera, "Yes. Yes, we do," he said in a fake tone that he knew Orihime would be oblivious to. _

This caused Rukia to laugh... hard. Everyone felt the same way about Orihime's cooking and that was the closest it had gotten for the truth to get out to Orihime herself.

"_Anyways, tell us who else you grew up with," Orihime said getting back on topic._

"_Silver medal winner __Sado Yasutora. We call him Chad. He's always been this big, strong guy, but one of the most gentle guys I've ever met. He has a soft spot for birds," he added for amusement._

"_Also, Best Actor, Uryuu Ishida, who I compete with in anything; small challenges, whether it's betting, video games, sports; anything. He's a great guy. And I think you know that, Orihime," he said with a wink. She began to blush, but he kept going. "He also loves to sew," he added with a smirk. He would probably hear shit later for saying that._

"You just booked an ass kicking for that one," Rukia said out loud thinking of the furious Uryuu at the moment.

"_The boxer, Tatsuki Arisawa is another great friend. Everyone knows you don't mess with her otherwise she'll kick your ass, but she'll have your back in a second. She's a really good person.__ She kicked my ass everytime when we took karate together." He chuckled. "I guess you could say that Karakura Town let's out a lot of talent."_

_Orihime smiled. "I guess you could. But isn't there anyone else?"_

_He squinted with a small smile as he pretended to think. "No… No I don't think so…"_

"_Would you like me to help you out?" Orihime said, knowing he was fooling around._

_He sighed and leaned back into the couch, "I also grew up with Rukia Kuchiki."_

Rukia felt her stomach fly up into her chest. She knew that she would be a big topic in the interview, but it still bothered her. Everything between them was just too… sensitive. 

"_Oh really?" Orihime said in an interested tone._

"_Oh don't act like it's a surprise," he said with a smile. "You're pratically her sister."_

"_I have no idea what you are talking about, Mr. Kurosaki. My job is to interview you in order to let the public know who you really are," she said in a professional tone with a smile trying to break through._

"_Yeah, yeah," he said with a smile._

"_So… are you going to tell us something about her? You gave us a bit about each person so far."_

_He blew out some air, "What can I really say? I've known her since I was about eight. We were best friends up until we were sixteen. We dated for three years and then drifted. A few months ago we met up again."_

'Wow. Way to go through thirteen years of our life in like eight seconds,' Rukia thought almost irritatedly. 

"_Well, that's a start. Tell us some things about the most adored author ever."_

"_I don't know if I have a right. I mean, we just started talking only three months ago. For two years we didn't talk."_

"_But that was only two years compared to nine. How much can really change? You still have more of a right than anyone. She'd even say that," Orihime convinced him. He sighed. "So tell us some things that people might not know about the young author."_

_He sat there thinking and then an evil smirked appeared on his face. "Well I'd be glad to!" he said in a frighteningly happy tone._

"Oh god no!" she yelled jumping to the edge of the couch.

"_She has this addiction to Chappy the Rabbit and I don't think that will ever change. Despite the elegant Kuchiki appearance, she knows how to not take shit from anyone. And I have scars to prove that," he added with a chuckle. __"I called her a midget once when she was in a bad mood and she threw a stapler at me."_

"Remind me to throw another one at you!" she yelled with clenched fists. 

"_She hates people that kiss her ass. She grew up with money and hated it when people treated her like she was above them. She gave charity every chance she could and even though she puts up this hard demanor, she has one of the biggest hearts in the world."_

Rukia relaxed as she began to slouch back into the couch. She felt her skin tingle from how sincere he sounded.

_Orihime smiled, "Many people have emailed me asking what you think about her writing. Do you read her books?"_

_He answered calmly, "Of course. I always read her writing back then. She's a great writer. If you're not reading them, you're missing out. I mean a lot of it is romance and stuff, but if you can get a guy like me to get teary eyed, you've got talent. Besides, her writing isn't completely fiction. Whether she admits it or not, there are some true situations in those novels. And I would know." _

Rukia exhaled a great amount and leaned back. "Yeah you would."

_Orihime raised an eyebrow. "There is? I didn't know that. Like what?"_

_Ichigo leaned forward as if telling her a secret, yet he knew it didn't matter. "Remember in her first novel, when the guy, who is a lifeguard, ran into the restaurant the girl worked at? The whole scene with him getting jealous because she was going out with another guy?" Orihime nodded._

"_Yeah, that was when we were sixteen and I was completely pissed about her saying she was going to Homecoming with this asshole. She read right through me," he said looking towards the floor as if remembering it. A smile slowly made its away across his lips. He then looked back up to the host. "That is one of the many non-fictional scenes."_

"_**I**__ didn't even know this. That's really interesting," Orihime said with surprise. "It seems like you care about her a lot," she said softly. _

"_Yeah," he said quietly as he looked down to his lap for a brief moment._

"_But I have to ask the question everyone wants the answer to," Orihime said in a tone knowing the answer. "Are you and Rukia seeing each other?"_

_He paused for a moment and then looked straight into Orihime's eyes. "What does that really mean anyway? '__**Are we seeing each other?**__' I see her all the time. He hang out."_

"_Ichigo. You know what that means," Orihime said in an almost saddened tone._

_There was another long pause before Ichigo spoke with a sadness in his eyes that only few would see. "We're only friends."_

_Orihime looked into his amber eyes and felt sorry for him. She didn't know exactly how he felt anymore, but right then at that moment, she felt like she could see it all. She caught herself quickly, "Alright, so we're going to go on a quick break and be back with more about his family. If you're watching, send in some questions and we'll ask him for! Stay tuned!"_

Rukia took a deep breath. "Well that should put the public straight." She leaned her head back and looked up at the ceiling. 'Why did that feel so difficult though?'

A buzz was heard from her cell on the coffeetable. _"Bet you're glad about everything being straightened out," _the message read from Momo.

Rukia didn't even bother to reply. This whole interview put stress on her. Not because it was of Ichigo. She was fine with that. It was the fact that it would be digging into his past, and she knew that she was a big part of that. And that past was not always a happy one. She just hoped that the rest would be fine.

"_Welcome back! Ichigo Kurosaki is here with me tonight and we're going to talk about family now," Orihime chimed in on the television. _

"_I have twin sisters, Karin and Yuzu, who are five years younger than me. They are kind of complete opposites. Karin is sporty and she's laid back. Yuzu loves to cook and is more of the worrier. And my father is what I would call a madman," he said with all seriousness._

"_Why would you say that?" Orihime asked._

"_He's crazy. What else do you need to know?" he asked seriously. He then sighed and smirked. "He's juvenile and acts more like the child than the parent. But, when we need him to be, he's there… and surprisingly serious."_

"_What about your brother?" Orihime continued._

"_Kaien. Most people know him as the high class lawyer for all the celebrities out there. He's about two years older than me. He kinda lives a care free life, he's always looking out for me. He's a great guy."_

"_He's representing Miss Kuchiki for her trial next week. What do you think about that?"_

_Ichigo shrugged. "I think he's going to win the case." He didn't have much to add to that. That was yet another awkward subject that he wanted to get away from._

"_And before you ask, my mother died many years ago," he said in a way like ripping off a band-aid._

_Orihime already knew these answers, yet she knew she had to ask them. She would apologize later. "How old were you when it happened?" she asked in a soft tone._

"_I was nine. She- uh, was bringing me home from karate when we were… stopped." He found it hard to look at Orihime when he talked._

"_You don't have to-" Orihime said, but was cut off._

"_It's fine," he said quickly looking into her yes. "A man came up and started making advances at my mother. She tried to push him off, but he was too strong. I eventually screamed as loud as possible and ran at him. I slammed my fists as hard as possible. I mean, what else can a little boy do, right? He swung his hand, which was holding a knife and sliced me right here," he said pointing to his chest where he traced the scar over his shirt. "I remember screaming in pain, but my mother's screams were even more painful to me." He clenched his fists as he talked. "I was somehow able to get up again," he was starting to get emotional and his story was feeling more intense as he spoke. _

"_I bit him as hard as I could. I heard him cry out, but before I could get another bite in, he swung and hit my with the hilt of the knife. He hit my right in the temple. I hit the pavement and…" he looked back up at Orihime. "I blacked out." _

_He took a deep breath. "When I woke up, I, uh, saw the blurriness of the flashing lights from the ambulance. I was lying down and a woman was asking me my name, but I started to make out my mother being carried towards the ambulance on a stretcher. I don't know how I got up, but I did. I ran to her… and when I got there… oh god," he turned his head away and closed his eyes. Everything was so vivid for him. He swallowed as hard as he could. _

"_There was… so much blood__... It was everywhere. I grabbed her hand and yelled for her over and over until finally her eyes opened slowly and she said, __**"Ichigo, why aren't you smiling? Smile for me," **__and then… she died. They rushed her off into the ambulance, but I knew it was pointless. She lost too much blood and she didn't even know what was going on when I held her hand as she said her last words." His eyes were watery and his voice was shaky. _

"Ichigo…" Rukia said softly with tears in her eyes. She didn't know why he had told that story. He had only told it twice. Once to his father and the police. And the second to her, but that was well after the fact when they were seveteen. His friends only knew parts of it from the family and her. Now the world knew of that heartbreaking story and she just hoped that the world wouldn't abuse it.

_Ichigo took a deep breath. "Wow," he gave a single chuckle. "Didn't expect to do that," he said before clearing his throat. "So, uh, what else do we have to do?" he said in a tired tone._

_Orihime blinked away the tears, "Some fans have some questions for you."_

"_Alright, bring it on," he said trying to get back into a happy mood._

_Orihime hesitated, but then read from a paper she had in front of her. __**"How do you get your hair to be that color and how do you get it so crazy looking?" **_

_He chuckled, "I knew this question would come up. My hair is completely natural. What you see is what you get. I was born with these orange locks and there is no dye whatsoever. Next question."_

"_**You said that Orihime made strange food. What was the strangest meal she ever made you?"**__ Orihime read with a somewhat insulted tone, but she still smiled._

_Ichigo laughed, "Oh god. Um, I'm just gonna say: Tuna fish and red bean paste. Next question."_

"_You said you liked it!" Orihime said in defense._

_He laughed and scratched the back of his neck, "Next question?"_

_Orihime sighed, __**"Have you ever written a song about someone? If so, which song and who?"**_

_He gave a soft smile, "Yes. I wrote the song, "Run To You" for… Rukia. Next question!" he said finishing with a nervous laugh._

"_And last question because we're about to run out of time, __**"Just because you aren't dating, doesn't mean you don't have feelings for each other. You dated a few years ago, is it possible those feelings still exist?"**_

_Ichigo sat there for a minute. He then chuckled and rubbed that back of his neck again. "Well don't I have some intuitive fans." He paused again as he thought. __And then her words came into his head, _"Be honest. If you lie, it'll most likely be found out. And when people find out that someone they love lies to them, they lose faith in them." _He then took a deep breath and smiled softly, "Yeah, I do have feelings for her."_

_Orihime felt her heart melt. She smiled, "And that's all the time we have for tonight. Thank you for watching __**The Secret's In The Telling**__, and they most certainly were tonight. See you next time!"_

Rukia sat there. She was stunned; literally stunned. 'How am I supposed to respond to that?' she thought. 'What am I supposed to do? Wasn't it clear that we are just friends? I haven't given him any signals.' She then bowed her head down to her lap and rubbed her temples. 'How am I supposed to tell him I don't feel the same after an interview like _that_? I'm going to end up looking like this ice cold bitch!' She let out a growl. "Damn it. Ichigo!"

Then, her house phone started to ring. She moaned knowing anyone who had her number would be calling right now. She refused to get up though and instead, continued to rub her temples. Then, her cell phone went off. "Ah!" she yelled before roughly grabbing the phone. "What?!" she yelled into the phone.

"That had to be the most intense interview I have ever seen," Momo said with awe.

"This is no time for praise, Momo," Rukia whined as she buried her face into a couch pillow.

"Why is this such a bad thing, really?" Momo replied innocently. Mumbling was heard in response. "What was that?"

Rukia picked her head out of the pillow realizing she was still suffocating herself, "I said, because there is too much history. We just started being friends! What is wrong with being friends? I love friends! They're never complicated!" she continued to whine.

"Well what are you going to do?" 

"I don't know!" Rukia said banging her head against the back of the couch.

There was a sigh on Momo's side of the phone. "I have to go. My agent scheduled a meeting and I'm twenty minutes late because I wanted to see the show."

"Fine, fine. Go. I'll just be here… planning out my death."

"Try not to make it too painful then," Momo said in jest.

"Oh, but the more painful the better!" Rukia said back.

"Bye!" Momo chuckled and then hung up. 

As soon as she hung up, her phone rang again. "Not now Rangiku," Rukia said knowing how her friend was.

"Your sexy musician declared his love for you on national television!" the strawberry blonde yelled into the phone in a high pitched tone. Apparently Rukia's warning didn't work.

"He did not declare his love! And he is not _my_ sexy musician!" she yelled back.

"But you admit he's sexy…" Rangiku smirked on the other side of the phone.

Rukia's nostrils flared. "Alright you know what? You're right. He's sexy! Is that what you want to hear? Is that what everyone wants to hear?!"

"Woa! Calm down, Kuchiki. You're getting out of hand. I'm just playing with you. Does it bother you that much that he likes you more than a friend?"

"Yes! Yes it does! And I want the god damn phones to stop ringing!" she yelled more at the house phone than she did at her friend. There was silence on the other side of the phone. Rukia sighed. "I'm sorry, Rangiku. I'm just," she rubbed her forehead, "I'm stressing out a little. The press is going to eat me alive."

"I know, hun. Just remember we're all here for you."

"Yeah, I know. I'm gonna go now and… I don't know. Take a bath or something," Rukia replied.

"Okay. Call if you need anything."

"Yeah, okay. Bye." Rukia sighed and made her way to her bathtub while the house phone continued to play its song.

* * *

The bath helped a lot. She was soaking in it for an hour and now she was sitting at her laptop in an attempt to write. She tapped her fingers on the keys lightly as to not press it completely. Then she sighed and pulled herself away. "I need a drink," she said to herself as she made her way to the kitchen. When she got there the house phone rang yet again, but this time she picked up. "I refuse to talk to anyone!" she yelled before hanging up. She then pressed the talk button and left it that way as to avoid any more calls.

She looked through the fridge. "Wine, wine, wine, wine, beer!" she said finally finding what she wanted. She popped it open and took a nice long chug. After downing half the bottle, she stopped and took a deep breath. 

Her cell phone then rang and at the same time her doorbell rang. She answered her phone and made her way to the front door. "Hello?" she said in a tired voice.

_Some say love is not for sinners  
I believe that isn't true  
'Cause when I was finished sinning  
love came down and showed me you_

"Hey," she heard in return. Her back straightened at the sound of his voice. 

She bit her lip and then spoke quickly. "I can't talk right now," she said and then hung up. She continued to go towards the front door after hearing the doorbell ring again.

She looked through the window to the side of the door and into dark. She didn't see a mob of people or flashing lights, so she knew she was in the clear. So she then opened the door.

_And you told me how to get there  
so I tried to find a way.  
Then I ran into your garden  
But I tripped out the gate  
But I tripped out the gate._

"You really do refuse to talk to anyone, huh?" he said with his hands in his jean pockets.

Her mouth hung ajar due to the unexpected and she shivered. The air was cold even though it was approaching spring. Their breath could be seen in the dark air. She hesitated, but then spoke. "What are you doing here?"

"That's a pretty dumb question, don't you think?" he said with his face neutral.

_What are you doing to me?  
I'm so into you  
And the hardest part is knowing  
That I'll never follow through  
You're slowly killing me  
And I wish it wasn't true  
'Cause I'm so into you_

She glared. "I don't get it. I don't get it at all, Ichigo! You were the one that wanted to be friends in the first place!"

Ichigo sighed, "Can we try not to yell about this?" he asked in an exhausted tone.

"And you were the one two years ago that said you didn't love me anymore!" she yelled again.

"And obviously we can't," he mumbled as he answered himself.

"God! It took so much courage to go to that charity event three months ago! So much! I didn't want to. I knew it would end up hurting more than I thought!" she yelled talking to herself more than him.

"Rukia," he said calmly as he tried to interrupt her rant. 

"I was completely fine with how everything was going. We were just friends. It felt like it used to so many years ago," she continued without stopping.

_Like a ton of bricks that hit me  
And woke me from this dream  
No matter how hard I tried to wash my hands  
I could never get 'em clean  
I could never get 'em clean_

"Rukia," he said a bit louder.

"We've been through so much and we were finally able to be okay with each other! Why did you have to ruin it?" she yelled again.

That hit him hard. It was as if all the air inside his body had been sucked out all at once. 'I just listened to your advice,' he thought in defense. 'But you're right. Why did I ruin it?' he frowned and then tried to interrupt her again, only this time he was successful. 

"You took it the wrong way," he said strongly. 

_What are you doing to me?  
I'm so into you  
And the hardest part is knowing  
That I'll never follow through  
You're slowly killing me  
And I wish it wasn't true  
'Cause I'm so into you_

She glared, "How could I have taken it the wrong way?" she said rubbing her arms due to wearing only a short sleeve shirt with a pair of sweatpants. 

"Yes, I do have feelings for you. I thought that was a given. I'm always going to have feelings for the first woman I ever love. Doesn't that make sense?" he explained. "Don't you feel the same way deep down somewhere?"

She hesitated, "I… guess. But if that's what you meant, why didn't you say that?! Now they're going to think something of it!" she yelled again.

_Can you hear me?  
'Cause I can't change what I'll always be_

"Well that's my problem. It doesn't involve you. For all they know it's a one-sided feeling because I said we weren't dating. Let me deal with it," he answered sternly.

"Ichigo-" she said before she was cut off.

_What are you doing to me?  
I'm so into you  
And the hardest part is knowing  
That I'll never follow through  
You're slowly killing me  
And I wish it wasn't true  
'Cause I'm so into you  
I'm so into you  
_

"Don't worry about it, Kuchiki. It doesn't concern you anymore. Now get inside," he said looking away from her for a moment. He then looked back, "Its cold out here." He then turned around and picked up his helmet, which was hanging on the handles of his motorcycle. He jumped on, started it up and then road off, leaving Rukia speechless and less stressed than before. He seemed angry to her and that was her focus at the moment.

_Cause I'm so into you  
_

'If that's the way you want it, I'll lie to you, Rukia. Just don't lose faith in me in the end,' he thought as he made his way back home.

_I'm so into you. _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alright. So what happened in this chapter? We know something that happened to Ichigo. We know Ichigo is a liar. And we know Rukia almost had a coronary. Intense, maybe? Anyways. Who can tell me how I arrived with the name of Orihime's show? Anybody know? If you do, tell me. And if you get it right, I'll give you a hint of things to come next chapter. Later


	7. What Are You Looking For

**A/N:** Fast update! Go me! Alright, so Easter break at the moment. Exciting. I did this chapter relatively fast, taking out the times when I had to leave the computer. Anyways, this is named after the song, "What Are You Looking For," by Sick Puppies. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nay.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 7: What Are You Looking For_

"So the trick is to win over the judge. Once you do that, you're golden," Kaien whispered as he leaned over to Rukia's ear. 

She frowned in confusion, "How do you intend on doing that?"

"Well isn't it obvious?" he replied with a smile. Rukia just raised her eyebrow in clarification. Kaien chuckled at her clueless response. "I've been told I have a charming smile. And a wink doesn't hurt either," he said adding a wink and flashing a gorgeous smile at the end.

Rukia smiled, despite chuckling disgustedly and shaking her head. She then asked curiously, "What do you do when there is a male judge?"

"I just told you," he said looking through his folder of information.

Rukia showed shock, "You mean… they were all…" she said hesitantly.

Kaien chuckled again, "No. But once they noticed what I was doing, they were a bit tense and decided it was better if they got rid of me as fast as possible." 

Rukia just shook her head again. Kaien suddenly stood up, seeing as it was time to begin. "I would like to call the victim of the assault to the stand," he said confidently. He made his way out from behind the table and walked towards the stand where the photographer had just taken a seat. Flashes from cameras continued to flood the room.

"So tell me," Kaien began as he leaned on the ledge of the platform, where the victim sat. "What is it you want?" he asked straight out as casually as possible.

The photographer gave a suspicious look. "What do you mean?" he questioned hesitantly.

"What I mean is, 'Why are you here?' I don't see any critical injuries. You don't have any head trauma or any broken limbs."

The man opened his mouth to talk, but Kaien held up his hand, "And don't give me any crap about your emotional wellbeing being put at stake. I could give two shits if you go home and cry because mommy never gave you enough love."

"Objection, your honor. He's undermining the victim," the prosecutor shouted standing for more emphases. 

"I am not. I'm just saying what everyone else in this courtroom is thinking. Besides, how sad is it that he is taking a woman half his size to court for punching him? Shouldn't that hurt his pride just a little?" Kaien said with another jab.

"You can't insult the victim!" the prosecutor shouted at him with disbelief. She then turned to the judge, "Your honor, this is not suitable behavior."

Kaien gave a disgusted laugh, "Oh please. And sleeping with your client is?"

"Alright, enough! You two! I would like to have a word at my bench," the judge yelled to stop the brawl. The two had yet to move. "Now!" she added.

Kaien couldn't help but smirk from success. This was exactly what he wanted; a word with the judge. They both arrived in front of the judge. 

"What is going on here? We are professionals. This is disgraceful," the judge said rubbing a temple.

"I'm sorry, your honor. But he is asking inappropriate questions. _'Why is he here?_' He's here to get justice for being a victim of a cruel act!" the prosecutor said harshly.

Kaien rolled his eyes, "And you're here to support your crybaby of a boy toy."

"Alright, settle down," the judge said to stop an incoming insult fest.

Kaien sighed, "It's this simple, your honor. He wants a few million and he was willing to piss the living daylights out of a certain moneymaker to get it. Consider the possible irritation of a man throwing a deceiving picture in you face and making inaccurate accusations. Not only would it frustrate you for being told something that is false, but it would be told all over the world." He leaned in closer to the bench. "You wouldn't want the world to pair you with someone who you've had a bad history with. Come on. You understand that it would put you in a terrible state of mind and then make you act on instinct." He then flashed his convincing smile. "I bet you'd give him a slug too," he added with a wink.

"Your honor!" the prosecutor yelled in disbelief from what he had said.

The judge lowered her head calmly to hide a smile on her face. She then looked back up. "Listen, I hate these cases more than anything. I believe one hundred percent that Miss Kuchiki had every right to lay her fist in his face. But that is just me. I have to go by the law." She then leaned back so that the courtroom could hear. "I will call a short recess and give the verdict in fifteen minutes."

The prosecutor left and Kaien leaned forward and placed his hand on the judge's hand. He looked deep into her eyes. "Thank you. It's hard for people to understand the celebrities just because they're wealthy. They usually judge them for it and think they're _all_ snobby. People forget that there are ones out there that are just like regular, common people too, ya know?" he said softly with a delicate smile.

"It's not a problem at all," she said with a meaningful smile. "I never thought it was portrayed right on television anyway."

"Ah, you have a beautiful heart," Kaien said with a kind chuckle causing her to smile. "And you have a beautiful smile as well," he added causing her cheeks to turn red. 

"Do you mind doing me a favor?" the judge asked sheepishly.

"Anything," Kaien said casually.

* * *

Rukia waited patiently outside of the courtroom in a private waiting room away from all the cameras. Rukia saw Kaien walk into the room wearing a smirk with his hands behind his back. She raised an eyebrow. "What are you so happy about? From the looks of things you just got me a year in jail," Rukia said with accusation in her voice.

"Ah, the faith Kuchikis have in Kurosakis," he said with his smirk still all over his face. "I just got you a get out of jail free card."

Rukia's mouth dropped. "Are you serious!" He nodded, seeing she had gotten very excited. She then jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She then let out a small scream. After she backed a step or two away, she asked, "How did you manage to end a trial in _five minutes_?" 

"I told you. Women find me attractive, Rukia. It's only a matter or time before you start to realize that," he said with a chuckle.

She raised another eyebrow and then shook her head. "I still can't believe it."

"Oh! Right!" Kaien said as he was reminded of something. He pulled out a book from behind his back. "She would like an autograph copy."

Rukia looked surprised for a moment, but then shrugged. "Whatever gets me out of jail…"

* * *

It had been a week and two days since she had last seen him. It was like he was avoiding her on purpose. She realized she might have overreacted about the whole television confession, which wasn't really a confession at all; at least that's what Ichigo had said. She didn't want people getting the impression that they were together after Ichigo's little sharing of feelings on national television. But she didn't want to take a step back in their relationship. They were just starting to become good friends again; a mere acquaintance was not enough for her. She admitted that. 

She sat with her cell phone sitting open on the table with Ichigo's number ready to be sent, but she was hesitant; not knowing if he wanted her to call. 

Rukia sat in a corner table in a local café with sunglasses on her face for concealment. She stared out the window at the cars passing on the street. She stirred her cup of coffee as her thoughts took her away. She couldn't help but think about how real he was during that interview a week ago. He wasn't fake at all. In fact, he seemed more real than what he was when he was with her. She wondered how he could have changed so drastically from two years ago. How did he climb out of that ditch he was so far in?

She continued to stare out the window with her elbow on the table and her chin being held up by her palm. Then, a motorcycle pulled up at the light next to her. She realized exactly who it was with his orange hair exposing slightly at the end of his helmet. She slowly picked her head up off of her palm and stared directly at him. And as if there was some sort of connection, he turned and saw her in the window. After staring for five seconds, Rukia stood up. Then, Ichigo immediately took off; running through a red light.

Rukia stood there in shock. Her mouth hung slightly ajar. 'Is he serious?' she thought to herself. Her chest felt heavy; she felt hurt. She bowed her head down, now looking at the table. She took a breath and silently walked out.

* * *

"Yo Ichigo!"

"Hey," the orange headed man said unenthusiastically into his cell phone. 

"So it looks like Kaien pulled another victory out of his ass," Chad said, assuming Ichigo knew already.

"What?" Ichigo said in surprise. "It's already over? How did that happen?" 'That would explain why I saw her in the café earlier…' he thought to himself.

Chad was silent for a minute, "I thought you would have been told already. By like… Rukia…"

Ichigo sighed, "Why would you think that? We don't tell each other everything. We're not that close," he said bitterly.

Chad held his hand out to show no offense even though he wasn't in Ichigo's presence at the moment. "Woa, man. I didn't mean anything by it. What's up with you?"

Ichigo let out a heavier sigh. "Nothing. Just forget it. Is that all you wanted?" he said in annoyance.

"Yeah man. That's it," Chad said, now sounding distant.

"Alright. Well I've got to go. I've got some things to do," Ichigo responded as he stopped to stare into a store window in the local mall.

"Listen, Ichigo. I know you care about her, but it's not a terrible thing to just be friends. I mean-" Chad said trying to convince him.

"I never said it was a terrible thing to be friends. That's all I ever wanted. I knew that back then and I know it now. Nothing's wrong, so stop assuming. I've had enough with your assumptions today," Ichigo said with flames shooting out of his mouth.

"Fine. Whatever man. See ya," Chad said in a giving up tone. He had enough of being treated this way.

"Later," Ichigo said quickly and flipped his phone closed. He continued to look into the electronic store and then walked in. 

Last week he had gone home after his little visit with Rukia. His body was drained. He felt great at the beginning of the day, but by the end, he had made it into a complete mess. It didn't go as planned- well, he didn't really have anything planned. He just kind of blurted out something confidential without thinking of the possible consequences. 

Ichigo was beyond pissed. Not at her, not at Orihime, or the fan that asked him the question; he was completely angry with himself. He was so pissed he threw his motorcycle helmet at his television screen in his kitchen. Hence the reason he was in an electronic store.

He was getting so close to Rukia again. He honestly didn't even know if these feelings he had for her were of something different or just strictly platonic and he hated himself for acting so instinctively. She was furious about what he said; he could easily tell from the way she continued to yell without letting him get a word in. And the more he heard her yell, the more he felt farther away from her.

His plan was to give her space for awhile. He messed things up… again. And he had to try and fix things… again. So he would avoid any contact with her and if approached by anyone and asked about his confession, he would correct them. But until that happened, he would more or less avoid her. 

He walked in wearing a red baseball hat to conceal most of his vibrant hair. So far it worked, so he wasn't too nervous about any attention being drawn. He wore a red hoody with a pair of jeans and sneakers. He wasn't aiming to dress and impress. 

He looked at the screen sizes along with whether it was plasma and or flat screen. He finally found an appropriate replacement and was about to call over the clerk when the news on the screen caught his attention. 

"_Superstar Ichigo Kurosaki has caused quite a ruckus in the past few months with his return after a year of absence and his association with the princess of words, Rukia Kuchiki,"_ the television reporter said while showing a clip of Ichigo playing at a recent show. 

Then it quickly flashed to footage of the trial. _"Kuchiki had been taken to court for assaulting a photographer, who had been asking questions of the assumed couple. The trial lasted only about fifteen minutes before the elder Kurosaki sealed the deal on her case. Why the subject was so infuriating for the princess is still a mystery, as is their relationship. We'll be sure to let you know of any updates on the possible attractive couple,"_ the reporter finished, although Ichigo was staring relentlessly into the screen.

On the television was a view of the courtroom before the trial had started. Although the camera was not directly on them, he could see Rukia sitting at the table next to Kaien. Kaien had leaned over into Rukia's ear; whispering something that only his imagination could run miles with. Then, Kaien pulled away with a smirk while Rukia smiled and shook her head in a joking manner.

"Can I help you, sir?" the clerk said, interrupting Ichigo's trance. 

He blinked a few times and stuttered as he tried to pull his mind back to the present situation. "Uh- um, no. I was just looking. Thanks," Ichigo said before walking out hastily.

He stepped out of the store and walked about ten feet before stopping to take a few deep breathes. He all of a sudden felt an enormous amount of stress placed on his chest. It felt like his body weight had just doubled and bowed his head as he tried to gain his breath. His mind kept bringing back the mental image of his own brother whispering into her ear. 

'What was he saying? How did he get her to smile so easily? Why can't I get her to smile like that? I used to be able to walk into a room and her face lit up…' he thought anxiously. 'I used to be the one telling her things only she was meant to hear…' 

He put his hands in his jean pockets and began to slowly walk, passing stores casually without giving them a single look. 'This is ridiculous. Why am I even freaking out over this? Why do I give two shits if Kaien was whispering something into her ear? Knowing him, it was probably a dirty joke or something. Yet knowing him, it could have been much more…' His thoughts continued to clash, going from one extreme to the other. 'I'm just looking out for her. That's all,' he finally decided as his eyes caught sight of the girl who invaded his thoughts making him stop and stare.

She was looking into the window of a shoe store. She never was a very girly girl, but what was wrong with having a weakness for shoes? And as if he was sending vibes through the air, her eye caught sight of him with her peripheral vision. She slowly turned her head as to acknowledge him. He just stood there staring at her with an unreadable look, yet he was staring into her core. Then, he walked slowly up to her, causing her to turn and face his approaching form.

"Hey," he said softly with his hands still in his pockets. 

She stared up at him with disappointment, yet also with pity. "Are you seriously avoiding me?"

He sighed softly. "I'm not avoiding you-"

"So speeding through a red light after seeing me wouldn't be avoiding _at all_," she said sarcastically after crossing her arms over her chest.

Ichigo didn't even bother to reply. Instead, he turned his head to the side to avert his gaze. 

"What is your problem?" Rukia asked exhaustedly. "I really would like to know what _you_ are angry about. I have done nothing wrong. _Nothing_. In fact, I've been worrying about you for a week and two days!" 

Ichigo continued to not look at her. "Well if you worried so much you could have picked up a phone to check," he mumbled.

She gave him a curious glare. "Are you okay?" she asked suspiciously.

"I'm fi-" he began unemotionally, when Rukia's phone rang. 

She reached into her purse and pulled out the device which contained a text message. She read it to herself, chuckled, and then threw it back in her bag.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"

"Kaien sent me a text," she said casually.

"Kaien?" he questioned with surprise. "So you two are getting close, huh?" he said with a bit more bitterness than he expected.

Rukia looked at him with astonishment. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You two looked pretty cozy on tv. Maybe there's something between you two," he led on, now acting like he didn't care.

"You can't be serious?" she said in her still shocked state. 

_I walk the line of the disappointed  
I celebrate when I'm in pain  
My heart and mind can be disjointed  
I built a bed in this hole I made_

"Do you think it's weird because we once dated? Well if that's what this is about, do whatever you want. Doesn't matter to me," he said avoiding eye contact and looking around at the people passing by them. 

"Alright, I don't know what the hell you're talking about. You're delusional as ever right now. I'm going to try to pretend we didn't just have a conversation about me dating your brother because you are just insane. Right now, I want to know why the hell you've been avoiding me," she demanded more than asked.

_I recognize that I'm damaged  
I sympathize that you are too  
But I wanna breathe without feelin' so self-conscious  
But it's hard when the world's starin' at you_

"Just forget it. Don't worry about something that doesn't concern you," he said with more resentment than worry.

Rukia couldn't believe him right now. She threw her arms up into the air. "Okay you know what? This is exactly the kind of thing that didn't work two years ago. If you're not going to open up a little, I don't know what the hell I can do for you, Ichigo. Honestly, do you think this is healthy? I thought you were past this kind of thing?" she said losing patience.

_Another piece of the puzzle, that doesn't fit  
You throw your arms up, you're so damn sick of it  
What are you working for  
What are you searching for  
Love_

Ichigo let his annoyance out now, "Oh god! Can you stop bringing up the past already! Stop comparing things that don't even matter at the moment!"

"It does so matter! You're being as cold as the day you told me to leave! I think I have a right to compare! I have a right to compare the same feeling in my chest!" she said feeling her heart beat faster as it began to sink into her stomach.

He looked straight into her eyes immediately after she finished, "_Don't_ compare me to that person. That person doesn't exist anymore," he said slowly with a bitter meaning.

_You won't be thinking of cars when  
You're on your death bed and dyin'  
You'll only be thinkin' of what you are paying for,  
What you are praying for  
Love_

Rukia felt almost frightened when he said that. It was a like a low growl came from deep in his throat. But after she collected herself, she dared to fight fire with fire. "You don't know what other people see when they look at you, Ichigo," she said in a calm tone. "For the first time in two years, I've seen that _person_ that you claim to have lost. Right now, I feel like some sort of time warp has occurred. And now that I'm looking at you, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I feel like I'm in the same helpless state and that's all because you _still_ don't let me in." Her voice went into a begging tone, "Tell me what I have to do. Tell me what you want from me."

_You join the line of the getting richer  
You keep your pace but it's movin' slow  
You are defined by all that you have hoarded  
But you're surprised it doesn't fill up the hole._

Silence filled the air as he again avoided her gaze. He then looked back into her eyes. They were in that same sorrowful stare that he remembered so well from the days of his 'lost years'. It pained him to see how in the past two minutes they had resorted back to something they had been trying so long to get away from. His chest ached and he couldn't take it.

"I was avoiding being seen anywhere with you until someone approached me about the interview. Then I'd be able to correct it before they went running wild with more assumptions," he spoke softly.

_Another piece of the puzzle, that doesn't fit  
You throw your arms up, you're so damn sick of it  
What are you coping for  
What are you hoping for  
Love_

"You've been avoiding me because of the press? Wow," she said with a disgusted chuckle. She turned and shook her head as she looked at people who passed by. She then looked back with a look of disbelief, "Don't you think it wouldn't matter? If they saw us hanging out together it would be fine. It's not like we'd be making out or having sex, Ichigo!"

"What the hell are you getting angry about?" he raised his voice. "I was doing this for you, midget! You were the one that freaked out over the interview thinking people would get the wrong impressions! I could care less!" he challenged her volume.

_You won't be thinking of cars when  
You're on your death bed and dyin'  
You'll only be thinkin' of what you are paying for,  
What you are praying for  
Love_

"Damn it, Ichigo! Don't you know this has nothing to do with what the world thinks! It's never been about that! This has to do with me! I don't want the world pushing on me something that's way too sensitive for me! Remember how that photographer ended up! It brings me back to something that ended up killing me everyday of my life!" she said with her voice shaking.

"Well I'm sorry it was such a terrible time for you," he added sarcastically. "I seem to remember it wasn't so good for me either."

"Don't try to make me pity you," she warned. "I'm done with that. I wasted months doing that and all it got me was a ticket out of town; one that I didn't even want by the way," she said with poison on her tongue.

_I'll never be what I see on the TV screen  
I just keep dreaming of what I'm never gonna be  
I can't think of a better way to waste my time then try_

"Oh, well I'm so sorry that I was such a disappointment to you. I mean, that's exactly what I wanted. Since my life was so miserable, I wanted to make you suffer as well. You finally figured out my secret plan!" he yelled being more sarcastic.

"You know what!" Rukia yelled leaning over and grabbing his hat off his head. She threw it about twenty feet away then shouted as loud as she could. "You only think your life was so damn miserable because you didn't know how to appreciate what you already had, Ichigo Kurosaki! You already had me!" she said causing people to gather from the sound of the celebrity's name. The flashes began to grow.

_Another piece of the puzzle, that doesn't fit  
You throw your arms up, you're so damn sick of it  
What are you hurtin' for  
What are you searching for  
Love love love love_

Rukia calmed herself and spoke softly, "You make it so difficult to love you, Ichigo. I care about you as a friend. But you're still too miserable to realize that this is something good in your life. Something that you are losing faster than you could ever imagine." She took a few steps backwards with water filled eyes. "So here's your chance, Ichigo. Correct your mistake, if it means that much to you. You obviously don't know what anything means to me," she finished by turning and walking through a mob that had surrounded them. Fans and reporters called out her name, but she continued to walk and then eventually jogging out of there.

_You won't be thinking of cars when  
You're on your death bed and dyin'  
You'll only be thinkin' of what you are paying for,  
What you are praying for  
Love love love love_

Ichigo stood in a state of shock. Everything was going on around him; fans throwing pens and paper in his face for autographs, random reporters shoving microphones at his lips, and the pushing in order to get closer to him. All of that sounded as if he was standing in a plastic tube, separated from everyone else. Their voices were distant as he watched her walk away yet again in his life. 

He did this for her originally. But the more she talked, the more he realized it was for him. It was all for him. He never once thought about her. He avoided her, making her think she did something wrong. He hurt her yet again. And the whole accusation with Kaien- he had no idea what had gotten into him. He was trying to protect himself by staying away from her. But it was as if the fire reflected off his shield and burned her instead. 

Suddenly, he came back to where he was. 

"Kurosaki! Tell us what was all the yelling? Is the happy couple splitting so soon?" a reporter asked.

_You won't be thinkin' of cars when  
You're on your death bed and dyin'  
You'll only be thinkin' of what are you workin' for,  
What are you waitin' for_

"Um, we aren't a couple. We're just friends," he said with complete exhaustion in his voice.

"But in the interview last week, you sai-"

"I know what I said and it was taken the wrong way," Ichigo began.

"What do you mean?"

"There is nothing between Rukia Kuchiki and me. That was all in the past. Move on from it already. Let us be now," he said before pushing his way out of the crowd and running out of there.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Interesting, nay? Alright. Complications, as usual. So Rukia wasn't freaking out about the world, she was thinking about her own wellbeing. Ichigo was clueless as ever. And Rukia fed him to the sharks. Fabulous. Anyways, you know what to do. Later


	8. I'm Moving On

**A/N:** Fast updates are my thing right now. Don't know why. It probably won't last long. So I'll try not to jinx it. I didn't proof read. Here's the next chapter named after, "I'm Moving On," by Rascal Flatts. And older song, but it's still amazing. I always end up using at least two Rascal songs. Weird… Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Never.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 8: I'm Moving On_

"So you think I'm kidding? Tsk-tsk. Shame on you, Kurosaki. Since when do I ever kid with you?" Ishida's voice came through the phone.

"That's a joke right?" Ichigo said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh get over yourself. I'm serious; a duet. What's wrong with that?" the man said in a questioning tone as he pushed his glasses further up in his face.

"Well everything is wrong with it. I don't _do_ duets. I'm a loner. You should know this," Ichigo said clearly and slammed his fist down to get his point across. He was in the middle of his run on the treadmill when his friend gave him this alarming news. He had accidentally hiked up the speed of the belt when he slammed his fist and was trying to push the right button to fix it.

"Yes, I do know this, which is why when I heard from Nemu that she was trying to record a duet for my upcoming movie, I gave your name as a shoe-in."

"You what?!" Ichigo yelled through the phone as he began to run even faster due to his machine still going up at a constant speed.

"Yes, and there's no need to thank me. I don't know who you have been paired with yet, but you'll find out at the meeting in Nemu's studio at three. I know you remember where it is. Don't be late. Have fun!" he said with a smirk and hanging up before he could hear an outraged orange headed man.

"Ah! Ishida! You son of a bitch!" he yelled before throwing his phone across the room. He hopped off the still running machine and watched as his phone shattered into pieces. "And that's another thing I have yet to replace," he said with a sigh.

He slammed his fist on the control panel of the treadmill and luckily for him, it stopped. He shook his head at his luck and walked his way out of the room while the sweat continued to drip off his shirtless body. He made it to his kitchen where he took out a water bottle and began to chug it. Then, he suddenly heard his doorbell ring. He was about to swallow another gulp before he turned his head in the direction of his front door.

The doorbell went off again and he swallowed the mouthful of water finally. He made his way to the door and when he finally opened it, he was surprised to see his guest.

"About time you opened the damn door," she said holding her phone open as if she had been using it. She slammed it shut. "I was trying to call you so that you could open the god damn door, but you weren't answering."

Ichigo's face remained unemotional, "I just threw it against the wall."

She raised a delicate eyebrow, "I see someone still needs to watch their temper."

He ignored her sarcastic remark, "What are you doing here, Rukia?"

She sighed. He wasn't being very easy to talk to at the moment. She could understand that though. She did leave him in a difficult situation a few days ago. "I came to, well, say I'm sorry. It just didn't hit me well – the situation that is- and I just- well, I," she sighed after all her stumbling. "I feel terrible."

He nodded coldly. "And you should. That was pretty cruel, Kuchiki," he said wiping the sweat across his forehead with the back of his hand.

Rukia then noticed the condition he was in. He had no shirt on, a pair of jogging shorts that hung low on his hips and a sweaty body to finish it off. His muscles were well tones, like his skin and she found herself staring. She then looked away after feeling she might have stared for too long. "I know," she said quietly.

"Well… I've got a meeting in an hour, so I'm gonna get going. Thanks for coming by," he said coldly as he went to shut the door, but then stopped. "Oh, and don't worry. I cleared everything up with the media… in case you haven't seen the news lately," he added coldly before shutting the door.

Rukia was left at the door with her mouth slightly open. 'That didn't go as planned,' she thought as she still froze in front of the door. She then turned around and made her way off of his property. 'Maybe we just need a break. Give each other some time to cool off,' she said to herself as she got into her car.

* * *

"Well I'll give her credit for trying to apologize," he said out loud to himself as he went back into the kitchen for his water bottle. 'But she should know I don't get over things that easily,' he finished in his head.

He was still pissed. She had a point the other day when they were in the mall. He agreed with her, but the way she went about it was spiteful. He was eaten alive by the media and the fans. He tried running out of there, but word spread quickly and he was swarmed. The mall's security wasn't very helpful either. To cut it short, Ichigo made it out of there needing six stitches on his forearm.

He rolled his head back and forth on his shoulders with his eyes closed. 'Why is it always so complicated?' he thought causing his eyebrows to furrow. He took another chug from his bottle, now finishing it and then looked at the time. 'Oh shit. I've got to shower,' he thought moving quickly to his bathroom.

* * *

Ichigo parked his motorcycle outside of the studio and made his way quickly inside. All the while, he was cursing under breath at a certain glasses wearing friend of his.

He walked down the hall with his hands in his khaki pants' pockets. His navy blue long sleeve shirt was a perfect fit as it revealed all of his upper body muscles without planning to.

"Hello," he yelled lazily. There seemed to be no one around and he wasn't the patient type.

He walked into the recording studio and stood where he had a few times before when recording a song. He took a deep breath in irritation. He looked towards the door and thought about leaving. One swift movement and he would be free from doing any of this. He took another deep breath. 'What am I doing here?' he thought to himself until his mind brought him back a few years ago.

**-Flashback-**

"_What am I doing here?" he whined with a scowl all over his face._

"_Oh, shut up. You're here because I brought you here. And besides, you promised me you'd give it a shot. It's not that big a deal anyway! You're just going to be playing for two hundred people – three hundred tops," she said calmly._

"_Yeah, that's not a lot __**at all**__," he moaned after burying his face into his hands as he hunched forward onto his knees._

_She sat down next to him as they waited behind the outdoor stage. She looked at him calmly and studied his worried appearance. She watched as his knuckles flexed every time he went to massage his temples; she watched as his breathing was slow yet each individual breath was long and hard; she watched as his left leg was shaking up and down in a nervous frenzy; and finally, she watched as his lips moved silently in an attempt to talk himself into believing everything would be fine. _

_Rukia reached out and placed her hand gently on his back; right behind his left shoulder. She felt his body tense from her touch, but then as fast as it tensed, it relaxed. He turned his head back to look at her with desperate eyes._

_He looked at her as she gave him a smile that made him believe for a moment that there was no such thing as evil in the world; that there couldn't possibly be anything cruel when a smile like that was given._

_She then moved and placed her chin over his shoulder from behind; her arms wrapping around his waist. "If you don't do this now," she began softly with Ichigo not being able to see her face completely. "You'll never do it," she finished. "And you'll always regret it. Is that what you want? To live your life with a bunch of 'what ifs'?" she said in such a sincere tone._

_Ichigo's head bowed to the ground, but she continued, seeing how she was reaching him. "I know you're the kind of guy that does everything for everyone else so that they can be happy. But for once, let me be the one that does that for you," she said squeezing his waist tighter._

_His frown suddenly turned into a smirk. "You play a cruel game, Kuchiki," he said chuckling as he reached beside him and grabbed his guitar._

"_I know," she said taking her head off of his shoulder. He then stood up and took a step towards the stage when she grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. She then pulled him down towards her still sitting form and planted her lips on his for a meaningful kiss. She pulled away slowly and smiled due to Ichigo's eyes still being closed. When he finally opened them, she spoke, "Good luck."_

_He smirked as he walked backwards for a few steps and then made his way on stage._

**-End Flashback-**

He sighed heavily from the memory. "I hate 'what ifs'," he said rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. He had decided not to leave.

"Never been a fan of them myself," came a voice from the corner of the room.

Ichigo looked quickly and saw her leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest and a leg crossed over the other. Her purple hair was up in a ponytail, while she wore a brown skirt to her knees with a red zip-up jacket. "So you must be who I've been paired up with," she said with a smile before pushing herself away from the wall.

"How long have you been there?" Ichigo questioned curiously as she made her way closer to him.

"The whole time. I got to watch you zone out for a bit before you randomly started talking to yourself," she smirked. She then held out her hand, "Senna Otonashi."

Ichigo felt kind of embarrassed after being called out on something ridiculous, but shook her hand, "Ichigo Kurosaki."

He had heard of the woman in front of him. Well how could he not? She's won plenty of awards and has been seen all over television as much as him. He just knew how it felt to have someone say, "I know," when you introduce yourself. In this situation, it feels more comfortable if you just go along with it.

"So, Ichigo," she began. "Is this your first duet?"

"Uh, yeah. I've always been kind of a loner," he said honestly.

She smiled at him, "It's mine too. Hopefully it'll turn out great."

She smiled at him with complete belief that everything would be fine and he couldn't help but smile back.

"It looks like you two have already met. Good. Let's get to business then, shall we?" Nemu said walking into the room.

* * *

"Rukia. Where were you?" Momo said firmly as the raven haired woman walked into her own house. The three woman sat ready for her return in the living room.

Rukia was somewhat startled. She answered in hesitation, "I was… at Ichigo's… Why?"

Rangiku sighed and looked towards the ground; shaking her head.

"What?" Rukia asked seeing the strawberry blonde's reaction.

"Sit down. We have to talk to you," Orihime said with a saddened yet serious face.

Rukia walked in slowly, sat her bag on the floor and then sat down on the couch as the three looked straight at her.

"We need you to keep in mind that we are doing this for your best interest and you should for no reason start to get angry," Momo said as if it would prevent any future action.

"And we would like to make sure that you know that we have discussed this and have agreed on our conclusion," Orihime added.

"Alright. Enough with the lead up. Spit it out already," Rukia said with impatience.

There was a second of silence before Rangiku spoke. "We think you should stop hanging around Kurosaki."

Rukia's eyes went wide. She did not see that coming. "What do you mean?"

Momo took a turn in explaining. "We just think that ever since he showed up a couple months ago that you've started having trouble again. You're going backwards. It's reminding Rangiku and I of the days when we first met you. You were secretly miserable. And we don't want you to go through that again. It's already starting," she said sadly.

"Guys, I'm fine. There's no way you can compare me to what I was before," Rukia said in defense.

Rangiku spoke again, "See," she pointed towards Rukia. "You can't even tell it's happening to you. That's why we're telling you now before it gets any worse. We're trying to prevent something that'll end up hurting you."

"I don't see it that way," Rukia argued. "I think it's helping me. After all these years, I'm finally able to cope with part of my past. I'm actually living with it now, instead of hiding it."

Momo jumped in, "But to live with something again that hurt you so much, there's no way it isn't causing you pain. How many arguments or problems have occurred between you two in these past few months? Even the small ones?"

"Everyone fights, Momo. That's a terrible reason," Rukia brushed off.

"But everyone doesn't fight about the same thing," Rangiku added quickly.

There was a silence that took over the room. Rukia looked down at the floor in a frustrated and disappointed mood. "Is that what you all think I should do? Just drop him?" Rukia then looked up at each of their faces when her eyes landed on a quiet Orihime, who was looking down at her lap. "You've been awfully quiet, Orihime," she said somewhat bitterly.

Her childhood friend looked up with sad eyes. "It's not healthy, Rukia. You've got scars from the past that you've slowly started to rip open. I think I can safely say we all thought it would be wonderful for you if you started to talk to Ichigo again. We thought if we pushed it that you would end up fixing your past and well, you two could be together again," she said with hope in her voice, but it quickly shifted to a sadder tone. "But the more you talked to him; the more you were with him; the more it brought up things that we thought you two were well over. I guess we were wrong."

It was hitting her harder than she would have ever thought. "You're saying this to help me, but you do know you may be hurting him as well?" Rukia said roughly as tears threatened to fall. She was trying to understand Orihime's reasons. She was his childhood friend too.

"I know," Orihime said bowing her head to the floor. "But I know that in some way, he'll end up better too. Despite how hard it may be." There was a pause, "Just let it go."

Those words were so simple, yet so complicated. Rukia had thought of them over and over again for the past two years; almost three, but she could never obey them. Right then, her friends sat there encouraging her to do what she thought she couldn't and right then, she knew she didn't have a choice. It had to be done.

Rukia let a single tear leave its tracks on her cheek and then bowed her head to the ground. She then suddenly stood up with her head still looking towards the ground. Her hair shielded any view to her face. She walked away and almost exited the room before she stopped and raised her head with her back now facing them. "Thank you," she said softly before making her way to her room for one last cry and then... it would all be over. There would be no looking back.

* * *

Three months went by and they were now attending the premiere of Uryuu's new movie.

Rukia stood in front of her mirror as she did some last touch ups on her. She was wearing it down tonight with her summer dress. It was already June and she found it hard to believe how time had sped by so fast. She smiled into the mirror at herself.

Then, from behind, arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his body. He began to kiss her neck in which she began to giggle from.

"Shuuhei! I'm trying to finish so that we can leave. You want to be on time for the premiere of your own movie, don't you?" she said, not pushing him away despite her verbal protests.

"Ah, but I want so _many_ things," he said with a grin as he continued to kiss her neck. Three months ago, Orihime had begged Rukia to come with her to the studio so that she wouldn't have to go see Uryuu alone; she was always a shy girl. And after Rukia's moaning and groaning, Orihime got her to go with her. What Rukia didn't know, was that her ex-boyfriend would be co-starring in the same film. That was where it all began. It started with an awkward conversation, let to coffee, which led to dinner and then they were dating again.

"I bet you do," she said finally turning around and kissing him gently on the lips. She then pushed him away. "Now let me finish."

He sighed and walked towards her open jewelry box. "I don't see why you are trying so hard. I've told you how beautiful you are, the world's told you how beautiful you are; who else do you need to hear it from in order to believe it?"

She smiled, "You just don't understand. Once I show up somewhere without make up on it'll rip me from a title that I still won't ever believe is true." She heard him sigh in the background. "Can you pick me out a simple necklace while you're over there?"

He looked through the box and smiled when he found the right one. He walked over and took the same position as before only this time draping the necklace over her head to rest on her neck. He smiled at his choice. "I remember this one from when we dating almost a year ago. I always thought it suited you best," he said looking at it through the mirror.

Rukia's face was stunned. Out of all the necklaces that were in the box, he had to pick this one. Her chest felt heavy as she took a deep breath. The necklace was a simple chain with a violet butterfly hanging from it.

"It must be because it matches your eyes," he added before seeing her disturbed facial expression. His face went worried, "Are you okay?"

She put on a fake smile, "I'm fine," she said to reassure him. "But do you think you can get me a different one? It doesn't feel like the… _right_ occasion for that," she said trying to find the right excuse.

He looked at her in confusion but then smiled, "Alright. Whatever you say."

* * *

The red carpet was swarmed by cameras. Orihime was being helped out of the limo by her date or boyfriend, Uryuu Ishida. They were followed by Renji Abarai and Tatsuki Arisawa. There was supposedly nothing between them, which was puzzling for both the fans and their close friends. Chad was unable to come to the premiere due to having to take place in a competition across the ocean.

Toushirou stepped out onto the carpet with Momo by his side. Rangiku surprisingly showed with past relationship, Gin Ichimaru; something no one had expected due to unfortunate details.

Rukia had stepped out of her limo following Rangiku and frowned at the sight. She was not told who her friend would be arriving with and the more she looked at the two with their arms linked together, the more she felt her blood boil. Shuuhei wrapped his arm around her waist to urge her forward. He put on a fake smile for the flashing cameras and spoke through his teeth, "You okay?"

She immediately smiled and waved at the crowd. "I could be better," she said in the same manner.

They almost got to the door when she dropped her purse. Shuuhei went to get it, but she stopped him. "I've got it."

She walked back a step or two and bent down to pick it up. When she lifted her head, she noticed the next two people coming out of the limo. Her grip on her purse got tighter as she saw their fingers linked through each other's. She had heard rumors of a relationship, but now proved it. And as she looked upon the couple she realized just how much time had passed.

_I've dealt with my ghosts  
And I've faced all my demons  
Finally content with the past I regret  
I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness  
For once, I'm at peace with myself  
I've been burdened with blame  
Trapped in the past for too long  
I'm moving on  
_

It had been more than three years now and she knew that things had turned out the way it should have. She accepted it despite what her chest was feeling. She smiled sadly. This was always how it was supposed to be.

**-Flashback-**

"_So what do you think? Is this how you picture our future with little kids running around us, yelling for piggyback rides and stuff?" he asked as they lay in the tall grass of an open field. Her head was rested on his stomach as she laid perpendicular to him. Her hand was held over her head as to fiddle with his hand._

_She laughed, "Wow, you really surprise me sometimes. You're so sentimental."_

"_What?" he asked a bit irritated. "I thought that's what girl's fantasized about and shit."_

_**I've lived in this place  
And I know all the faces  
Each one is different  
But they're always the same  
They mean me no harm  
But it's time that I face it  
They'll never allow me to change  
But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong  
I'm moving on**_

"_Well some girls do. You know, the ones that run around with dimples everywhere after they attend a day of church," she said laughing again. "If you couldn't tell, I'm not quite that kind of girl."_

"_No shit. Every time you go near a damn church you probably start to burn," he said with a smirk, which got him a nice over the head punch in his chest. After a cry out in pain he continued, "I'm just saying, you think we'll end up still being this happy? Ya know, years from now?"_

_**I'm moving on**_

_**At last I can see  
Life has been patiently waiting for me  
And I know there's no guarentees  
But I'm not alone  
There comes a time in everyone's life  
When all you can see are the years passing by  
And I have made up my mind  
That those days are gone**_

_She smiled at his question as she continued to look up towards the clouds in the sky. She then sat up and turned over on her stomach. She crawled up towards his face with a smile clear on her face. He smiled back at her waiting for an answer as a hand rested behind his head._

"_I hope so," she said. "Otherwise my dream of having a house on the ocean with our two kids won't come true," she added with a smirk._

"_Hey! You said-" Ichigo began to accuse before Rukia quickly placed her lips against his in a long, passionate kiss. _

**-End Flashback-**

"Rukia?" a voice said, which broke completely through her thoughts. She blinked a few times and then noticed a curious look on the man looking down at her.

"You okay?" he said after not getting a response from her. She looked into his amber eyes and saw that he actually cared; he actually was worried about her. She couldn't hide the small smile that formed on her lips.

"I'm okay," she said picking her purse up again.

"Here," he said holding his hand down to her. She looked at his hand and thought about it for a moment. Then, she grabbed it and allowed herself to be pulled up.

_I sold what I could  
And packed what I couldn't  
Stopped to fill up on my way out of town  
I've loved like I should  
And lived like I shouldn't  
I had to lose everything to find out  
Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road  
I'm moving o__n_

"Thanks," she said softly. She then gave a nod and small smile to the woman still linked to his arm, "I'm Rukia."

"Senna," she perkily said before holding her hand out. The two shook before Senna continued. "I didn't know you two knew each other," she said in a fascinated tone.

Rukia looked from Senna to Ichigo with an understanding look on her face. She gave a pitiful smile for show. 'It doesn't bother me,' she thought.

"It must have slipped my mind," Ichigo said still staring at the woman he could never let slip through his mind unnoticed.

Rukia heard his words and almost flinched. 'Alright, that one hurt,' she admitted to herself.

"Rukia," Shuuhei said from behind. "Let's go inside now before we cause a pile up at the door," he said with a big smile before wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Yeah," she said to him with a smile as she looked back at Ichigo one more time; her smile then fading.

_I'm movi__ng on_

Ichigo watched as they walked ahead of them and found that it was something he had to deal with now. It made sense anyways; he was with Senna now. He had been for two months. This was right. He knew that.

"Ichigo?" Are you alright? You look a little sick…" Senna said with a worried face.

Ichigo looked down at her and saw her concern. He smiled sweetly at her and pecked her on the lips. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" she questioned again as they continued to follow the first couple inside.

He looked forward again and saw Rukia smile up at Shuuhei before he leaned down and captured her lips. "I hope so…"

_I'm moving on..._

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well that's it. I've been on a writing role for the past few days. This is pretty amazing. I'm loving it. (Not quoting McDonald's) So, that's that. Um, tell me what you think. Later


	9. MakeUp Smeared Eyes

**A/N:** Ok. Next chapter. It's named after the song, "Make-Up Smeared Eyes," by Automatic Loveletter. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nope.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 9: Make-Up Smeared Eyes_

"Do you think it's really necessary that I go?" Rukia moaned as she sat in her comfortable chair in front of her laptop.

"I think it's necessary that you think about it," Shuuhei said packing his bag on the bed.

"_Why_?" she groaned again. "I'm not even going to have you there with me," she added with a puppy dog face.

He smirked and dropped the clothes he was about to put into the bag. He walked over to her sitting form in the chair and bent down on his knees to be at eye level. He looked into her violets with gentle eyes.

"Ever since we started dating you have seen your friends less and less. Two weeks ago at the premiere, you looked at all of them as if they were foreign or something. I don't want that to be because of me," he said sweetly with his hand cupping her chin.

She sighed, "Don't take the blame for that. That's just me being… well, stupid," she said in an irritated tone.

"You? Stupid? Please, you're definitely the brain for the two of us," he said smirking and pecking her lips.

She scoffed at his remark, "You're being _too_ _nice_."

"Ah, think what you want," he said with a smile as he got back up and went towards his bag again.

She took a deep breath and sat back, "I mean it's not that big a deal, right? I can just show up for a bit; say 'Happy Birthday' and then I'll leave. I mean Kaien has helped me out in the past. It's the least I could do."

Shuuhei zipped up the bag and looked at her curiously. "Why are you trying so hard to convince yourself to go? They're your friends."

Rukia looked at him with her mouth hanging open. 'How do I reply to that?' she thought to herself. "Well, I just… I'll feel awkward being there. I feel a little distant from them now."

He gave her a sad smile, "That's why you need to go. I bet you won't regret it," he said with a wink before grabbing his bag and walking out of the door.

Rukia frowned as he exited the room, "I bet you have no idea," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" he said coming back into the room.

Rukia's eyes shot open, "I said, I bet you have no idea _how much I'm going to miss you!"_ She finished with a smile and stood up from her chair.

He smiled back at her as he walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close. "I bet I'll miss you even more," he smirked and kissed her.

She continued to kiss back, while she exhaled from succeeding in her cover-up. He then pulled away. "Okay, I've got to go or I'll miss my flight,"

She moaned, "Nooooo."

He laughed, "Yesssss."

She pouted, "Are you sure you don't want me to see you off at the airport?"

"Yes. I'm more than capable of getting on an airplane," he said with a smirk. "Besides, I don't want you to miss this party thing and use me as the excuse," he said with a knowing smirk and a raised eyebrow.

She sighed and looked away from him. He made his voice more serious, "You better go to it."

She put on another childish pout, "Make me."

He smirked, "Believe me, I'd love to. But I really have to go," he said kissing her forehead and pulling away from her.

"Fine," she said in an agitated tone.

He looked back at her at the door, "I'll fly back whenever I get the chance. Have fun tonight," he said with a kind smile and then disappearing.

Rukia sat back down in her chair and looked at her laptop. She bowed her head down and gently banged her head on the keyboard a few times, finally resting it there. She then took a few deep breathes and sat up; now seeing her face had typed a series of words that were in need of some serious spellchecking. She sighed one more time and exited without saving.

'I guess I'll get ready,' she thought with provocation as she pulled herself out of the chair again.

* * *

"So how old are you exactly now? Ten? Eleven?" Ichigo asked sarcastically as Kaien walked by him with a piñata in his hand.

Kaien faked a gasp. "Brother! How dare you accuse me of such a thing?! If you're going to degrade me, at least let me have gone through puberty!" he said turning and winking to Tatsuki who was standing next to Ichigo.

Ichigo rolled his eyes while Tatsuki laughed and shook her head. She spoke to Ichigo so the birthday boy couldn't hear, "Well it beats having him walk around his party in his 'birthday suit' like last year."

Ichigo grimaced, "Oh god, don't remind me." He twitched from the memory.

"You weren't even there!" she yelled.

"Oh, believe me. It felt like I was. My damn father video taped the whole thing. I was out of the door by the time I saw Kaien made his… appearance." He grimaced.

Tatsuki chuckled. "Hey, at least you're a man. I can only sympathize for your sisters who had to see their own brother…" she said in a pitied voice, not needing to finish the sentence.

"Ugh," Ichigo said with disgust. "He's so damn cocky sometimes."

Tatsuki laughed, "Pun intended?"

Ichigo gave a disgusted chuckle. She then looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "Well that's one trait you two have in common."

He looked at her in disbelief. "I don't go walking around naked for everyone to see!"

"Well maybe you should, Kurosaki. It might boost your fan girl rate by double," Rangiku said walking in with Gin by her side.

"Or damage it," Uryuu added with a laugh.

"Screw you, twinkle toes," Ichigo responded with a scowl. Uryuu just laughed.

Suddenly, Ichigo felt himself stuck in a headlock while a fist began to rub into his hair. "Well if it isn't my little orange headed son!"

Ichigo yelled in annoyance, "Dad! What the hell? Get off me!" His father laughed at his irritated son.

"I know you are only pretending to reject daddy's love. Don't worry. I understand," he said letting go finally. "Where's that girl of yours?"

Ichigo was still fuming from irritation, but began to calm down as he avoided looking at his father. "She couldn't make it today."

"Ah," he said as if he clearly understood. "And where is this Senna who I have yet to meet?"

Ichigo quickly turned his head to look at him as if he had three heads. He frowned in confusion. "Are you going senile, old man?"

Isshin gave a curious look at his son. "What are you talking about?"

"I just said she couldn't make it today," Ichigo replied in agitation.

"I know. And then I asked about Senna…" Isshin added, replaying their conversation.

Uryuu leaned on one leg towards Ichigo's ear, "I think he was referring to a certain petit raven haired woman…" and then he leaned away.

Ichigo's eyes widened for a moment. "Why the hell would _she_ be here?" he asked in his annoyance.

"Well, numb-nuts, she was invited to my party for the past two years. She never could make it though. This year she said she would be here though," Kaien said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice as he passed by again into another room.

Ichigo watched him with a glare until he was out of sight. "_Why_?" he asked somewhat childish.

Yuzu and Karen came up after greeting their oldest brother. They had heard the last bit of the conversation.

"'_Why_?' What kind of question is _that_?" Karin asked in return with as much an attitude as Ichigo gave.

Ichigo glared at her as Yuzu hugged him and then answered him with an answer. "Because she's always been close with us. Just because you are on the rocks with her doesn't mean we have to be," she said in a gentle tone.

"Why are you so uptight about it?" Rangiku asked with a knowing smile, in which he glared at her for even thinking what she was thinking.

"I'm not uptight about it," he denied childishly.

Kaien made his way back through the room. He walked through the room, but replied as he passed by. "Stop being such a pansy. You're bringing down the atmosphere in this room," he said with a smirk, despite the insult.

Ichigo glared and began to walk out of the room. Orihime came walking in the room with a drink in her hand, "Ichigo, where are you going?"

"For a walk," he said bitterly without looking at her and marching into the next room.

Everyone just kind of looked at each other as if they new the subject had hit a nerve. Uryuu and Rangiku were the only two who smirked at the situation.

* * *

'Why the hell would _I_ be uptight? Dumb asses,' he thought shaking his head as he made it towards the hallway leading towards the front door. He then paused as he came face to face with the unexpected.

"Hi," she said softly with an awkward smile. She just came through the door and was already welcomed with what she desperately didn't want to meet.

"Hey," he said shortly; not being able to move at the moment.

There was silence between them; not a comfortable one. After a few seconds, Ichigo said the first thing he thought of. "Nice weather out there, huh?"

Rukia replied quickly, "Yeah. Very nice," she said in agreement. In her mind, she wanted to run out of that awkward moment as fast as possible.

She searched for something to say. Finally, her mind found it and she let it fly out of her mouth quickly. "Do you know where I can find Kaien? I want to wish him a happy birthday," she said holding up a present.

"Uh, I saw him head towards the kitchen," he said pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

"Thanks," she said awkwardly and then passing by him. She smelt his distinct scent when she brushed by him and her senses went haywire. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She shook her head slightly as she continued towards the kitchen.

Ichigo just stood there for a moment trying to piece together the events that just happened. 'That wasn't weird at all…' he thought sarcastically. He exhaled through his nose and marched out of the front door.

* * *

"Rukia!" Yuzu yelled as she threw her arms around the raven haired woman.

She was shocked but then quickly gave a large smile. She hadn't seen them in a long time… it felt good. "Hey!" she said in excitement. "How are you? You look so much older!" she said seeing Karin behind Yuzu, smiling. "So do you, Karin! Oh my god!" she said pulling the reserved twin into a hug as well. The two never looked alike and aging only kept it that way.

Karin gave a chuckle. "It's been awhile."

Rukia leaned back and gave the two a look and then a sad smile. "I know. I'm sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it, Rukia. We understand," Yuzu said kindly. Rukia gave her a smile of appreciation.

"Well if it isn't Miss Kuchiki. How have you been? Still beautiful as ever, I see," Isshin said holding a drink in his hand.

Rukia smiled and slightly blushed. "I've been doing good, Mr. Kurosaki and thank you. How have you been doing?"

"Ah Rukia! How many times have I told you to call me Isshin?" he corrected with a smirk.

She chuckled, "I'm sorry. I forgot."

"But if you're fine with calling me Dad now, I'm willing to accept that as well," he added, smirking even more.

"_Dad_," Karin warned him with a glare.

He held his hands up in defense, "I'm just putting it out there." Karin rolled her eyes.

"Rukia! I'm glad you made it!" Kaien yelled pulling her into a tight embrace. Rukia was too shocked to hug him back, but it was a quick embrace anyway.

She smiled up at him. "Happy Birthday, Kaien," she said holding out the gift.

He smirked and took it. "Thanks. I think I might have an idea what it is," he said with chuckle from the wrapping job. It was pretty clear that it was a mug.

"Ah, but the surprise lies in what is _on_ the mug," she said with a sly smile.

He looked at her in agreement. "This is true." He tore off the wrapping and read the mug. 'What you're staring at isn't a dream. I'm for real.' He laughed. "You got me pinned, Kuchiki. Nice job," he said giving her a hug with one arm as he stared at his gift.

"Thank you," she said bowing her head.

"I'll go fill this with some of my own refreshments," he said with a glint in his eye before walking off.

Rukia shook her head and saw Toushirou leaning against the wall talking to Renji. "Hey, where's Momo?" she asked curiously.

"She started shooting her next movie today. She might show up later," Toushirou said casually.

Rukia then peaked over and saw Rangiku laughing at something Gin had said to her. She looked back towards Toushirou and Renji. "Okay, someone needs to fill me in on Rangiku and Gin. When the hell did that start up again?" she asked in annoyance, not being able to believe the fact.

Renji sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "About a month ago. She told us he's changed so we didn't push it. She really wants to be with him… for some damn reason."

"I don't understand it at all. Fucking bastard…" Toushirou added with ice in his voice. Rangiku had been friends with Toushirou for about five years. She had been his secretary in his towering skyscraper when one day, she took it upon herself to plan out his wardrobe, despite his bickering. And after months of this, he invested into a fashion industry that he would have her take charge of. Even though he made it seem purely as an act of business, he was doing his secretary a favor. Eventually, Rangiku introduced him to Momo; they were considered even now.

"_You_ haven't said anything about it?" Rukia said with complete surprise at Toushirou.

He shrugged his shoulders with his arms crossed over his chest, "What am I supposed to do? She says she's happy to be with him again… even though everyone wants to shank him every time she turns her back."

Rukia furrowed her eyebrows. "Well this sucks," she said watching Gin smirk in his creepy way at Rangiku. "He gives me the creeps," she added as a shiver ran up her spine.

"Tell me about it," Renji added taking a chug of his beer.

"Rukia!" Orihime yelled from about twenty feet away. She waved her hand to tell her to come over.

"I'll talk to you guys later," Rukia excused herself from the two men and went towards Uryuu and Orihime.

"Hey, where's Shuuhei?" Orihime asked the raven haired woman.

"He left for his next movie today," Rukia said with a disappointed face.

"Ah. Well I'm glad you came," the perky woman said in return.

"Yeah," Rukia said with a sigh.

"So," Uryuu began. "You ran into him, didn't you?"

Rukia's eyes widened from surprise. She then squinted curiously at the man wearing glasses. "How did you-"

"You look frazzled," he cut in with a knowing smile.

Rukia exhaled. "Glad to know I can be so easily read, Ishida."

"Well, not necessarily. I'm assuming only because Kurosaki said he was going for a walk and he still hasn't come back yet. He gave it away; not you," he corrected.

"Oh. Well I guess that's a little more comforting," she said looking off at Renji surprisingly smirking at Tatsuki in a flirtatious way. She began to smile, but was pulled back into the conversation.

"You two are so damn complicated," Uryuu said. "We're all close friends with both of you, yet it's so awkward to all hang out in the same place."

Rukia frowned, "I'm sorry it's such an inconvenience for you."

"I didn't mean it like that," he quickly added. "I'm just saying that we shouldn't have to lose you as a friend just because of what's going on between you two."

"There's nothing going on between us," she said quickly and sternly.

"Then why haven't we seen you in over a month?" he asked with a frown.

Rukia opened her mouth to speak, but it was true. She distanced herself from her friends because of _him_. It wasn't right. She looked down to the floor and then looked back into his eyes, "You're right." She then looked between the two of them. "I'm sorry."

"Rukia, I didn't mean it like-" he added in an apologetic tone.

She smiled softly, "I know. Thanks for telling me. You make sense. I just… I need some air," she said before turning around and making her way for the door.

* * *

He leaned against the railing of the small bridge over the pond. It was off to the side of Kaien's house; a short walk from the front lawn.

He looked down at the colorful fish beneath him. Everything was so calm. It was even quite, regardless of the party going on inside.

'I can't believe she was actually invited. I don't know. I figured they wouldn't, considering I'd be here. But I'm kind of glad they did. They shouldn't take her out of their life just because of what happens between her and I,' he thought taking a deep breath.

"I guess the party was a bit stuffy for someone else, huh?" he heard from behind. He turned his head and saw her smiling sweetly at him as she walked onto the wooden bridge. He watched as she walked next to him and leaned in the same manner as him.

He blinked a few times before he could completely register what had happened. "Yeah, I guess so," he finally said.

There was a bit of silence. He felt like he needed to say something; anything. "I haven't heard anything about your next book. How's that going?" he asked surprisingly curious.

"Um," she was speechless. "Well, I guess… it's _not_ going," she ended with a single chuckle and a sigh.

"What? Are you serious?" he asked somewhat shocked. "But you never get writer's block."

She sighed, "Tell me about it. The past two months I haven't written anything except the keys typed when I smashed my face into the keyboard…"

"Spell-check must have been working overtime," he added.

"Weird how you would say that…" she said knowing she had thought the same thing earlier.

The raven haired woman looked down at the fish and smiled. She actually started laughing, which surprised Ichigo.

"What?" he finally said. She then turned and looked into his amber eyes. He was taken aback by the way her violet eyes shined in the summer sun. He had to swallow in order to regain his normal breathing.

"I just thought about something. Nevermind," she said looking back down at the water.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You can't just openly laugh about something and then keep it to yourself," he said trying to get it out of her.

She looked at him with a surprised look, but also a smile gracing her lips. "You actually care what I was thinking?"

_Left your t-shirt in my room, still smells of you  
And the picture you hung on the door lay smashed  
Picture perfect_

It was a truthful statement; he knew that. And it did sting a little, but the conversation was so casual. He chose not to dwell on it. "Yes, I do. It shouldn't be that damn surprising. Besides, I'd like something to laugh about at the moment."

Rukia brought her hand to her chin. She held it and tapped her index finger on her lips, pretending to think about what she should do: tell him or not tell him. "Nah, it's probably not even that funny."

_Explains now, clearly nothing left but a memory  
We only made out, you never kissed me  
That's how I learned to hold back all feeling_

He squinted at her as he tried to hide a smile on his lips. "Alright, spill it, midget."

"You're attempt at flattery sucks, Kurosaki," she said with a chuckle.

"Fine. Don't tell me," he said looking back at the pond in front of him in silence. Rukia looked at him with a smirk. She then looked back at the pond like him, but spoke.

"Remember when you bought me that fish after I complained about never having a pet before?" she said causing him to look at her from the corner of his eye.

_Wait, please don't go  
I won't stay  
All these words on replay  
I'm ok, It's alright  
Good to know that your fine_

She didn't wait for him to reply. "I named it Chappy, despite your protests," she said with a smirk as she continued to stare at the fish. Ichigo was now fully staring at her.

Rukia continued. "Then, two days later… it died." It was a sad subject, yet she was still smiling. "I told you it looked hungry every time I went near it, so I fed it… every time I went near," she even chuckled at that point.

_Pretending everything is right  
To make it better  
I'll hide my make up smeared eyes  
To show that I'm fine_

Ichigo turned his head to the pond. He cut in. "You came running over to my house. You were crying your eyes out," he said causing her to turn and look at him with wide eyes. She then relaxed and smiled at him.

He continued to tell the story. "You kept saying that I was right; that you weren't ready to have a pet because I said you couldn't remember to take care of yourself." He smiled softly at that point and then turned to look into her violet eyes.

_Some how you have managed to get under my skin  
More than anyone ever did  
And if every whole makes a scar  
And every scar marks its place  
Then I will never live freely without your trace_

Rukia continued, "You then told me it wasn't that I couldn't take care of it, but that I took too much care of it. You said my heart was too big," she said with a thankful smile. "And then you gave me your sleeve. You looked away from me and held your arm out as to pretend you weren't being so nice to me. You called me midget a few times, if I recall."

Ichigo gave a single chuckle. "Couldn't let you see I cared that much."

She smiled. "Such a manly man," she said in mocking tone. He chuckled.

_And it'll never be fair  
I wrote my songs for you and you never even cared  
So I'll forget you, I'll wish your t-shirt  
Kill the pillow and cut you out of pictures_

Rukia looked down at her arms leaning on the railing. "I think… I should get going," she said pushing away from the railing. Ichigo frowned slightly from her action, but quickly put his facial expression back to neutral. It was so casual; so _normal_. It felt so good... But was it so foolish for him to want it to continue?

She took two steps away, but before she made it off the small bridge, he grabbed her wrist.

_Wait, please don't go  
I won't stay  
All these words on replay  
I'm ok, It's alright  
Good to know that your fine_

"Wait," he said, which surprised her and even him.

She looked down at his hand on her wrist before looking up slowly into his amber eyes. She spoke in a soft tone that wasn't confused for an answer, but instead needing for an answer. "Why?"

He looked into her pleading eyes and found himself speechless. "I… I don't know." He slowly slid his hand off of her wrist; his skin sliding across hers made her skin tingle.

_Pretending everything is right  
To make it better  
I'll hide my make up smeared eyes_

He exhaled silently, "I just want you to know that… I have a feeling you'll get out of this hole soon. You'll be writing in no time."

She forced a smile. "Let's hope you're right." She then turned and walked away, leaving him watching her disappear out of sight.

_This drama sat shot gun  
My eyes rained like autumn  
Only the glove box knows  
How the story goes_

He bowed his head and then looked back at the pond. He smiled as a fish caught his sight.

* * *

She made her way back inside to say goodbye, but the more steps she took the more a grin grew on her face. She stepped inside and was met with Orihime.

_Now that this bandage is broken and the cuts left in open  
I'll tell you just one thing, this wasn't worth the sting_

"What are you smiling about?" she asked curiously.

Rukia smiled even more when she said that. "I've finally got some inspiration."

"Really?! What happened?" Orihime said with excitement; knowing she had been in a writing slump.

"Well nothing good and nothing bad!" Rukia responded, which confused her friend.

"What? I don't understand."

_This drama sat shot gun  
My eyes rained like autumn  
Only the glove box knows  
How the story goes_

Rukia shook her head and hugged her friend. "Not all inspiration comes from positive things. It was neither positive nor negative, actually. Well does it really matter? I've chipped away my block!" she said with excitement. "I'll see you later!" she said going to say goodbye to more people.

_Now that this bandage is broken and the cuts left in open  
I'll tell you just one thing, this wasn't worth the sting_

Orihime smiled and shook her head. "Thank goodness."

_Only the glove box knows  
How the story goes…_

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So that is where we are. I don't know if you can say anything really happened in this chapter… well. I hope you liked it none the less. So tell me what you think. Later


	10. Vulnerable

**A/N:** Chapter ten! It's a long one; just a warning. It's named after, "Vulnerable," one of Secondhand Serenade's oldies. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: No.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 10: Vulnerable_

"Hey! What are you doing?" Rukia said urgently with shock as she came walking back into her room. She saw Orihime sitting down and reading whatever was on the writer's laptop.

The strawberry blonde's eyebrows were scrunched up as she continued to read what was written. "What is this?" she asked not taking her eyes off the screen. "This isn't what you were writing about…"

Rukia ran over quickly and shut the lid. "Nope! It's not! It's nothing really!" she yelled awkwardly loud with a suspicious smile. Her hand remained on the top of the computer.

Orihime raised on eyebrow with a small, curious smile. "What are you hiding?" she asked, beginning to pull up the top again before Rukia shoved it down again.

"Can you just wait?" the raven haired woman asked in irritation, yet with a chuckle. "Geesh. A little privacy, maybe?" she added.

Orihime looked shocked, "Okay?"

"I know I usually let you read it as I go, but I want you to wait until I'm done," she said in a tone where she hoped her friend would understand. Orihime put out her lower lip in a begging manner. Rukia smiled sadly, "Please."

Orihime sighed. "Alright. But don't take too long in finishing it. I'm going to hate the fact that you're writing and I can't read it."

Rukia laughed, "I'll try not to."

"And it looks like you've done a lot in three days. What made you get all creative so fast?" she asked curiously.

Rukia picked up the computer and began to walk towards her desk and place it down, "I don't really know. It just kind of came to me," she said not looking at her friend as she began to plug it back in.

"That's weird. I mean you came running back into the house at Kaien's party and said you were taking off. I figured something must have happened when you were outside," Orihime reasoned.

Rukia shook her head with an award winning face that protected her real reason. "I guess my mind finally clicked and figured it all out." She shrugged.

"That's strange," Orihime said in a curious manner.

Rukia turned to look at her friend with a raised eyebrow, "Are you complaining?"

The strawberry blonde held up both of her hands in defense, "I'm not saying that. It's just out of the blue, that's all; weird."

Rukia shook her head and went about her room throwing a shirt that was on the floor into her open closet. "So to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" she said in a proper voice to get off subject.

"Oh," Orihime said realizing her meaning of being there. "I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me to this function for the premiere of a new magazine tonight. I was asked to do an interview in the first issue and there's this huge dinner event with photo shoots and other interviews and journalists. It's really strange, but it's also really interesting. I figured you might be interested."

Rukia looked at her friend strangely. "First off, why didn't you ask Uryuu to go? And second, do you really think I want to be in the public's eye?" She went around her room picking up clothes that had been there for the past few days due to her minimum movement from her laptop.

Orihime smiled sadly at her friend, "You'll be there as a guest; not for work. I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure you won't get a picture or interview taken that you don't want. And besides," she add as her friend continued to move about the room. "I feel like we don't get a chance to talk anymore. I thought maybe we could spend some time together. Ya know, like old times," she said sheepishly.

Rukia looked back at her friend with a heartwarming feeling. She gave a sad smile and walked over towards her. She placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. "How am I supposed to turn you down now?" she said sadly due to her annoyance in attending a public affair. It was going to be like jumping into a pool of flesh eating paparazzi…

* * *

"_Okay, you know what I don't get?" she asked in confusion. She was sitting down on the steps to her front door with her head resting on his left shoulder. His right elbow was leaning back on the step behind him._

"_How is it that you are always able to run over here so fast and make all my cursing and yells go away? I don't get it. I feel like I could go punch the living day lights out of someone and then you come and all I want to do is crawl up into a ball next to you. Explain this," she commanded._

_He smirked, "I have that affect on women," he said cockily, earning him an elbow in the gut. He grunted from the impact and then spoke. "I just know you so well, I guess. I mean, it took a little time to completely figure you out, but once I got it, everything just seems to… make sense I guess. It's hard to explain, but I feel like I just know how to calm you down in cases like these. It's weird," he finished with a look that showed he was trying to understand it himself._

"_Well then I guess that means you're the only guy in the whole world that can catch me when I'm falling, huh?" she asked with a smirk as she turned to look up into his amber eyes. _

_He smirked down at her, "Well if you keep leavin' me openings…" She elbowed him again. He sighed with a smile, "You writers and your words…"_

"_Rukia, get inside," Byakuya said from the door in a cold manner._

_Rukia rolled her eyes and stood up. She began to walk to the door that her brother disappeared through, but turned when she went to close the door behind her. "See ya later, Strawberry," she said with a smirk as he shook his head with fake annoyance as a smile crept onto his lips. _

"Rukia, wake up. We're here," Orihime said perkily as she parked the car.

She blinked a bit and registered where she was. She sighed. Her dream had surprisingly been a memory of her childhood. It was a few months before she and Ichigo had finally become a couple and even then she knew she loved him. Its weird how things turn out the way they do…

* * *

"Oh this is just amazing! It doesn't even look like what I imagined!" Orihime said in excitement as Rukia walked by her side with a smile on her lips as she shook her head. It really was different. It was more like a party instead of a business event. Off in the corners of this enormous hall was where the photo shoots were taking place. The occasional table of an interview was placed randomly throughout the room. In the middle was where guests stood and enjoyed a drink or a plate of food from the buffet tables along one side of the room.

"Come on, Rukia," Orihime said nudging her friend's arm with her elbow, "It looks like it's going to be more fun than you thought it would."

Rukia rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Let's just get a drink already," she said moving towards a waiter walking across the floor. She grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed one to Orihime, who shook her head.

"I still have to do an interview. I want to be completely sober for it," Orihime said with no way of her mind being changed.

Rukia shrugged, "Suit yourself." The raven haired woman took the glass meant for her friend and downed it before placing it on a tray being held by a walking by waiter.

"Rukia," Orihime said in surprise.

"What?" she said in response. "If you want me to enjoy myself then I'm gonna need a few of these in me first."

Orihime frowned, "You go to public events all the time. Why are you being so difficult?"

Rukia sighed, "I go to fundraisers, charity events, or things that my friends are involved in such as a movie premiere. _This_ is where someone goes when they want attention from the damn cameras and busybodies or if they are being paid to be here. Everyone who is here is here to dig into certain people's lives in order to get a pretty amount of money in their pockets. _I _am here because you asked me. I'm not even getting paid," she finished by downing the other glass. She took a deep breath afterwards and looked at a door that continued to swing open from people going in and out. "I swear to god if I end up on the cover of some bullshit magazine," she mumbled.

"This is my job, Rukia. I _am_ one of those _damn busybodies_. I may not be an actress like Momo where you could go to a premiere of a movie or a fashion expert like Rangiku where you could go to a fashion expo," she frowned in disappointment. "But I'm a reporter. _I_ dig into certain people's lives in order to get a pretty amount of money in my pocket," she said somewhat bitterly.

Rukia was shocked. This conversation took a complete turn and her usually perky friend was staring at her with anger and hurt in her eyes. "Orihime, I didn't-"

"You're so afraid of being seen in public and most people would kill to have your kind of fame. You aren't even a movie star or a rock star. To be famous and be a writer is so lucky! People read books less and less as the years go by and the fact that you are seen as such an icon is amazing! You should be setting an example for people on how they can be heard by doing different things- not just winning beauty pageants or having a pretty voice." She shook her head, "And all the cameras ever do is make you look angelic." Her face continued to give a frown. "You can't even support one of your best friends."

Rukia felt so small. She never had Orihime talk to her like this. She had insulted her best friend without realizing it. Her mind was too wrapped up in her own affairs. Orihime asked _her_ to be with her for this function. Not Uryuu, not Tatsuki, Rangiku or Momo, not Chad or even Ichigo. She asked _her_. And she threw it in her face.

"I can! It's just I was too busy think-" Rukia began to explain, but was cut off.

"I have to go. My interview is supposed to start in two minutes," she said avoiding eye contact. "I'll see you later," she said walking away.

Rukia's mouth was left ajar. 'Did that seriously just happen?' she thought as her mind was having trouble processing it all. Her usual instinct would have told her to go after her and clear it all up, but right now, she felt like she shouldn't. She would let her do her job and then hopefully clear things up afterwards. She exhaled and looked around. Another glass of champagne caught her sight. In fact, four glasses of champagne caught her sight and she made a beeline for them.

After drinking down all four glasses, a small burp came out of her mouth startlingly, causing her hand to fly up to her mouth from surprise. She looked around to make sure no one had seen her and then noticed people continuing to come out of that room that she noticed from before. She picked up another glass and began to wander off in that direction.

She stepped through the door and noticed people moving all around. She curiously continued to walk in after placing the empty glass on a table and once she turned a corner, she saw the big deal. There was a huge photo shoot going on, but more in particular was who was being shot.

Ichigo Kurosaki was posing for the camera as she stood watching from a distance. He had a pair of khaki shorts on with nothing but his bare abdomen and chest. He was leaning back against a concrete wall with his hands in his pockets. His head was tilted to the side slightly as his eyes stared into the camera with the utmost curiosity.

"That's it! Try to understand the camera! Try to understand why it's here! Perfect!" yelled the photographer. Once Rukia gave the woman a glimpse, she noticed it was Yoruichi Shihouin; one of the most talented photographers in the business. People would pay her millions to get a single picture taken by her. And it would have been no surprise if Ichigo was asked by Urahara Kisuke to do a job with her.

Urahara and Yoruichi were residents in Karakura during Rukia and Ichigo's childhood and were very close with both Isshin Kurosaki and Byakuya Kuchiki. Thus, Rukia and Ichigo often saw them; whether they wanted to or not. Yoruichi was either flaunty or very authoritative, while Urahara acted very sly or immature. Rukia and Ichigo were always confused on whether or not the two were actually a couple due to their extreme opposite personalities.

Rukia continued to watch as Yoruichi flashed pictures at the orange headed man. She hadn't seen her in years and it felt somewhat strange standing there, watching from a distance. Her eyes drifted back to Ichigo. He did actually have a believable expression on his face. In fact, she remembered him staring that way at her. It was an expression of begging to know the truth, the answer, or the reason. She looked away for a moment and let some air out of her mouth. The champagne must have been getting to her, she thought as her eyes found their way back to the man in front of the camera. And as she continued to stare at him, his eyes found their way to hers.

His head slowly turned as his facial expression turned into a somewhat surprised yet hopeful look. The camera continued to flash as Yoruichi yelled. "Kurosaki! What are doing?! Stop wasting my film!"

The purple haired woman turned and saw Rukia standing with her hands folded in front of her with her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open. Yoruichi raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Well if it isn't little miss Kuchiki!" She began to walk over quickly to the raven haired woman.

"How the hell are you?!" she yelled as her arms were thrown around Rukia in a startling manner. She almost lost her balance as she tried to find the words to reply.

"I-I'm doing good," she said sheepishly with a smile as the woman in front of her let go and stood back with a smile. "How are you?" she added.

"Eh. I have my ups and downs. Damn! I haven't seen you in years! Look at you! You grew into one beautiful woman, Kuchiki!" she said with happiness shown through her voice and the smile that extended from ear to ear.

Rukia broke eye contact and looked down towards the floor in slight embarrassment. She then looked back up, "Thank you."

"You know I absolutely love your books. And I've never been very big on reading, but damn! You had me crying like a baby. I'm so proud of you. I remember seeing this little raven haired girl chase around butterflies in the park and who would have guessed you would become such a talented and successful young individual," the tan woman said with a sincere smile.

Rukia suddenly found herself in awe of the woman in front of her. She had forgotten how supportive she had always been. There were few who ever were supportive of her. Her brother wasn't the kind to give praise or encouragement, but Yoruichi was. And for that, Rukia hugged her tightly. "Thank you," she said again as her head was positioned over Yoruichi's shoulder. She pulled away and the two smiled at each other.

"So how's that brother of yours doing? I haven't spoken to him in awhile," she asked in interest.

Rukia sighed, "I haven't been able to talk to him much lately either. He's been, ya know, _on business_."

Yoruichi opened her mouth with a silent, "Oh," and nodded in understanding. "I trust he's been sending you messages every now and then so you know he is okay?" she said in a tone that presented a certain ass kicking if he had failed to follow her instructions from long ago.

"Yes. I got one two days ago," she thought for a moment and then pulled out her phone and read, "It said, _'Hello Rukia. Currently swimming in the tropics. Weather is beautiful. Although I have been stung by a jellyfish on my left shoulder, I am healing and should be completely fine for my return. Hope you are well, Byakuya.'_"

Yoruichi smirked, "Cryptic as ever. Well at least he'll be coming back soon."

Rukia sighed, "Yeah, but hearing that he got shot in the shoulder isn't very settling."

"I know, but he's too stubborn to let anyone get a good shot on him. Don't worry yourself, Rukia. He always comes back," she said with reassurance.

"Yeah," she agreed softly.

"I have to go look over some pictures I just took of that orange headed idiot. Why don't you stick around and watch?" she suggested.

"Uh, I don't kno-" Rukia began, but was interrupted.

"Oh come on. I heard you and Kurosaki haven't talked much lately. Why don't you two catch up?" she said beginning to walk away.

"Yoruichi, I don't think-" Rukia began to say louder as the distance between them got greater.

"I won't take 'no' for an answer!" she yelled before grabbing her camera and walking out of sight.

Rukia sighed and began to walk around; looking at all the props around the room. She saw a table of drinks. There were bottles of water and soda, but her hands went straight for yet another glass of champagne. She finished three glasses, grabbed a full one and decided to look around again.

As she looked at an area which was set up for a different scenery shooting, which was a piece of a wall with a window on it. She felt her phone buzz in her back pocket causing her to jump and spill some of the champagne on the floor. She pulled her cell phone out of her jeans pocket and read the text she had received. 'Finally going to sleep after long day of filming. Miss you!' was the message from Shuuhei.

She sighed and put it back in her pocket without replying. She didn't feel like it. She shouldn't have to do anything she didn't want to do, right? She brought the glass to her lips and finished the liquid inside. Then, she took a step forward and found she had slipped on the champagne she had spilled from before. The glass flew out of her hand as she was on her way to slamming backwards into the floor, before she felt an arm underneath her and another one wrap around her from above.

Her eyes then registered the sight above her. He stared down at her with the smallest impression of a smile. "You're still leavin' me openings, Kuchiki," he said softly.

She was shocked at first, but her lips revealed just as much of a smile as him. "I guess so," she replied before reaching up and placing her hand across his chest and onto his right shoulder to balance herself.

There was then a flash. The two looked immediately at their old friend and saw she had a grin across her lips. Ichigo pulled Rukia up onto her feet as Yoruichi came closer.

"_That_ had to be the most natural, yet photogenic picture I have ever taken. I _need_ to use that. You have to let me," she said with her tone leveling between ordering and begging.

Rukia blurted out with a laugh, "Do what ya want. Why should anyone listen to what I say anyway? Besides, it always comes out wrong…"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you okay?" he asked curiously.

Rukia turned and looked at him as if he was crazy, then she smirked. "I'm just _peachy_, Strawberry. Thanks for asking!" she said with a wink.

He began to chuckle, "Are you… drunk?" he asked suspiciously.

She placed her hand on his chest and pushed him as she laughed at his accusation. "Why would _I_ be drunk? Are _you_ drunk?"

He looked at her as if she spoke a different language, but couldn't hide his smile. He looked down at the floor and saw the shattered glass. He then looked back at her, "How many glasses of champagne have you had?"

Rukia rolled her eyes, "Don't get all parental on me, Kurosaki. I'm not goin' drivin' or anything."

Yoruichi stepped closer and placed a hand on Rukia's shoulder. "How many have you had, Rukia?" she asked sweetly, trying not to get on her bad side.

Rukia sighed and looked up at the ceiling as she began to try and count, "Nine… ten… eleventeen?" she asked as if someone knew the answer.

"Okay, Kuchiki. You need to take a nap or something," Ichigo said with surprise to how much she had. He began to guide her towards an area where there were some chairs and a couch. Yoruichi followed behind them.

"I don't need a nap," she said stubbornly after he pushed her to sit down on the couch. She stood up quickly, but felt dizzy and lost her balance. He placed his hands on her hips to steady her and then pushed her down to the couch again.

"I doubt that," he said in response. He looked back at Yoruichi who stood next to him. "What do you want to do?" he asked, not knowing how to proceed.

She smiled, "Well the girl is trashed. I don't know who she came here with, but I think she needs to go home." It _was_ pretty humorous.

The older woman bent down with her hands on her knees, "Rukia, honey, who did you come here with?"

The raven haired woman scoffed. "Doesn't not matter. She's piss'd because I don't consider people's feelings," she said not looking at either of the two. She then turned and looked into Yoruichi's catlike eyes, "Can you believe that?! Orihime! Pissed! It's ridicululous!"

Ichigo frowned after pushing down the urge to laugh at her growing speech problem. "What happened?"

Rukia waved a hand in his direction, "Don't worry 'bout it. It's not your problem."

That annoyed Ichigo. He didn't know why or how, but it irritated him. He couldn't do anything about it though.

"Take her home, Kurosaki," she said looking down at Rukia who was playing with the buttons on her button down white blouse with a small butterfly print across her heart.

He looked at her somewhat alarmed, "But we're not done."

"I think we are," she smiled, holding up the camera. "That last one should be the clincher for the magazine's premiere. I doubt they would deny that once they see it."

_Share with me the blankets that you're wrapped in  
Because its cold outside, its cold outside  
Share with me the secrets that you kept in  
Because its cold inside, its cold inside_

Ichigo sighed. He didn't know if he liked the idea of using a picture consisting of him and Rukia. It was risky for both his and her relationship. But they trusted them right? It wasn't like they were having an affair. They were just good friends, so it shouldn't be a big deal. He looked back at Rukia and knelt down. "Rukia," he said to get her attention. She looked up.

_And your slowly shaking finger tips  
Show that you're scared like me so  
Lets pretend were alone  
And I know you may be scared  
And I know we're unprepared  
But I don't care  
_

He looked into her innocent violet eyes, "Are you sure it's fine to use whatever photo Yoruichi's got of us? I don't want you afraid of rumors or Shuuhei getting upset."

She smiled at him, "I don't care 'bout what people think, Ichigo," she said confidently.

He looked at her strangely. "But you made such a big deal before when the misunderstandings with the press took place…"

_Tell me tell me  
What makes you think that you are invincible  
I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure  
Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that's vulnerable  
Impossible_

She laughed, "That was 'cause I din't want to hear people saying I was with you. Too many painful memries," she said with a sigh and then looked down at her lap.

Ichigo's heart fell as he watched how easily she said that to him. It's amazing the things people say when they are under the influence…

_I was born to tell you "I love you"  
Isn't that a song already  
I get a B in originality  
And its true I can't go on without you  
Your smile makes me see clearer  
If you could only see in the mirror what I see_

Yoruichi looked down sadly at the two. She always thought they went well together. She was one of the many who didn't understand what happened to cause such a drift.

He tilted his head to try and see her face. He then reached up and tilted her head up to look at him with his hand under her chin. "Why would it be fine now?"

She smiled sadly at him, "Because we've both moved on."

_And your slowly shaking finger tips  
Show that you're scared like me so  
Lets pretend we're alone  
And I know you may be scared  
And I know we're unprepared  
But I don't care_

There was a moment of silence. Despite how believable her words sounded, her eyes gave her away. He saw them betray her every effort to persuade him and herself that it was true. But he wouldn't do anything about it; he knew he wouldn't. So he gave her the same sad smile in return, "Yeah," he said softly. "Let's get you home."

_Tell me tell me  
What makes you think that you are invincible  
I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure  
Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that's vulnerable  
Impossible_

He stood up and held his hand down to her. She grabbed his hand and let him pull her up, but she had no balance and was about to fall when he pulled her tightly to him. "Okay!" he laughed. "I guess I'm gonna need to carry you."

Rukia gave a disgusted chuckle. "I can walk!"

"Oh yeah?" he asked sarcastically. "Then go for it," he said letting go of her and taking a step back.

_Slow down girl you're not going anywhere  
Just wait around and see  
Maybe I'm much more you never no what lies ahead_

She put on a determined face, or as close as she could get to a determined face in her state, and took a few steps before Ichigo caught her yet again before she fell. "Still think you can walk?"

"Still think you can eat?" she said in response.

He frowned, "What does that even mean?"

"Exactly!" she said excitedly.

_I promise I can be anyone I can be anything  
Just because you were hurt doesn't mean you shouldn't bleed  
I can be anyone, anything I promise I can be what you need, I can be what you need_

"Okay!" he said before he scooped her up and carried her with her knees bent over one arm and her back leaning on the other. "You don't even know what you are saying anymore."

"I'll find Orihime and tell her you're taking her home," Yoruichi said from behind. Ichigo gave a nod and began to walk towards the doors where his car would be.

She sighed as she began to close her eyes and placed her arms around his neck, "I hate this."

_Tell me tell me  
What makes you think that you are invincible  
I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure  
Please don't tell me that I'm the only one that's vulnerable_

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up from how gentle her touch was across his skin. He looked down at her as she got comfortable in his grasp. "You're the one that drank _eleventeen_ glasses of champagne," he said making fun of her speech even though he doubted she would catch it.

"No," she said with her eyes still shut. "I hate how you're still the one person who catches me."

Ichigo smiled down sadly at her. He knew she didn't mean 'hate'. That's just who she was. She was the kind of person that put up her defenses to avoid anyone from knowing the complete truth. This was as close as he was going to get to anything she really meant. He let out a single chuckle, "Such a writer…"

_Impossible_

* * *

He sat in an armchair that was a few feet away from her bed, which he had placed her in hours ago. After she slept for about an hour, she woke up and he was there to guide her to the _refresher_. And after thirty five minutes of that, she passed out in her bed again. He took this time to sleep some himself. He woke up about five hours later and found she was still clearly not joining the living world anytime soon. So he grabbed a copy of her first book and began to read it for the fifth time.

Two more hours passed when she finally rose from her slumber. Her hair was slightly ruffled from her sleep and she wondered where she was. She couldn't remember half of the day before and she knew the reason when her head began to pound. She groaned and began to rub her temples.

"I thought you learned not to do that much back at one of your brother's '_business'_ gatherings…" he said with a smirk.

She looked up and found it surprising to see specifically him sitting in one of her armchairs in _her_ bedroom. She groaned again, "I thought I did too."

"And champagne of all things…" he added as he closed the book and sat it on his lap.

She sighed again and continued to rub her temples, but harder. "I hate how that is the one drink that hates me more than anything. And it's such a wimpy drink too," she whined.

He chuckled, "Never understood it myself. You could handle J.D. with no problems, but a dainty, crappy ass French drink could wipe the floor with you."

She gave him a glare, "Don't push it."

He held his hands up in defense, "Just stating the obvious, Kuchiki."

"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked in annoyance. She had only talked civilly with him a few days ago and she had no idea why he thought he could walk right in and start up such a casual conversation.

He raised an eyebrow, "I guess that's the closest I'm gonna get to any appreciation from you."

"What the hell are you complaining about?" she said getting irritated by the millisecond.

He gave her an unemotional stare, "I said," he said with a much louder volume. "I guess that's the closest I'm gonna-" he began in a yelling manner.

Her hands flung to her ears, "I'm not deaf, Kurosaki! I know what you said! I don't know _why_ you said it! Bastard…" she finished knowing he wanted to make the headache worse.

He smirked and then titled his head curiously, "Do you seriously not remember?"

She looked at him in a way that was clear that she was completely unaware of what the past few hours held. He sighed, "All you need to know is that you drank too much, got drunk and needed to be taken home."

She looked at him in a different light. "You… brought me here?"

He broke eye contact and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. You were falling all over the place. I couldn't let you get a concussion or anything."

She looked down and then pulled at her still buttoned white blouse and then her jeans. He spoke again, "I thought it would be too much if I changed you. Took off your shoes though," he added sheepishly with an awkward chuckle.

She smiled down at her lap. She then looked up at him, "How did I end up running into you? The last thing I remember is talking to Yoruichi and then finding a table with more drinks."

"You ended up slipping and almost cracking your skull on some camera equipment. I got ya just in time," he said quickly as to avoid too much concentration on the sentence. He didn't want to be praised; not like she _would_ but still.

"Oh," she said quietly with understanding. She looked at the clock in the still ill lit room and noticed it was 3:34… in the morning. She then quickly looked back at the orange headed man. "How long have I been here?"

He looked at the clock as well, "About nine hours."

Her eyes went wide, "How long have you been…"

"About nine hours," he said again.

She shook her head and rubbed a temple, "Why?" she asked not looking at him.

He chuckled, "Someone had to be here when you needed help to the toilet."

This made her groan and throw a hand to cover her face, "So I didn't imagine someone holding my hair back…"

He laughed again, then leaving them in silence. "Do you need anything? Water or somethin'?"

She sighed and shook her head, "No, I think I can handle it from here."

He nodded slowly in understanding. Seconds passed by before he spoke. "You want to tell me why you were trashing yourself last night? Something about Orihime?"

She threw her head back down on the pillow as she stared up at the ceiling. "Not particularly."

"Don't lie to me. It got you pretty worked up," he said casually.

She sighed, "She asked me to come with her because she had to do an interview. She wanted to spend time with me because we barely see each other anymore. I hated being there because I hate anything that has to do with paparazzi. I think they are scum," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "It's just my opinion. I think they take the truth and twist it. They live off someone else's success and I hate giving them their next paycheck."

"Well Kuchiki, don't hold back. Please, tell me what you really think," he said sarcastically.

She bent her head up to see him, grabbed a pillow next to her and threw it in his direction. "Shut up! Do you want to hear it or not?"

He waved his hand, "Go ahead," he said lazily.

She dropped her head back on the pillow and looked back up at the ceiling. "She then took it personally. She said she was one of them now and that I don't know how to support her. She compared herself with Momo and Rangiku. She told me I should be embracing the spotlight because of what I'm known for, not running from it." She leaned up off the mattress with her elbows, "Ridiculous, huh?"

There was silence, but then he opened his mouth in alarm and pointed his thumb at himself, "Am I supposed to speak now?"

Rukia, slightly impatient, yelled, "Yes!"

"Well I completely agree with Orihime," he said simply.

"What?!" Rukia asked incredulously with a frown.

He sighed, "Relax, midget. I see where you're coming from. How could I not? But she makes more sense than you."

She sat up completely and crossed her arms over her chest, "Alright. I'm listening," she said stubbornly.

"The whole point of you going was to spend time with one of your best friends, right? You shouldn't have been so damn miserable when you weren't even there for the reason of getting attention. You were there with your friend, and it obviously hasn't clicked with you that Orihime hosts a television show that interviews the lives of celebrities. That is another way of saying 'interviewer' or 'media' or '_paparazzi'_. She's one of those people you supposedly hate so much. Does _she_ dig into people's lives in hopes of her next paycheck? Do you know her to be this _scum_ that you have obviously labeled them as?"

Rukia stared at him speechless. She knew Orihime wasn't like that. She was one of the nicest people she had ever met, if not the nicest. "No… she's not like that at all," she said softly.

"So do you think it's possible that you've just been driven by some bad experiences?"

She sighed, "Yeah." There was some silence. She chuckled, "You sound like a shrink."

He smirked, "Well you need one right now." Silence filled the room again.

"What do you think about me hiding from the cameras? You think she's right?" she asked with complete seriousness. Her eyes somehow found his in the dim lit room.

"Honestly, there's no right or wrong there. If you don't want the world to know your business than you don't have to do shit," he said easily. "But she does have a point. You're a writer, Rukia; a damn good one. Your face is known all over the place. Everything you've done represents to people all over the world that they don't have to either be a singer or an actor in order to be famous. They don't have to focus on being like everyone else striving to be noticed. They can do what they love and get seen for it. That's the kind of message Orihime things you can send to the world," he finished with a shrug. "It makes sense."

She took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, "_Now_ it makes sense." They sat silently for a moment as she stared into her lap. She then chuckled and looked up at him again. "How do you do it?"

He raised an eyebrow as a response. She chuckled again. "How do you _be you_ whenever I need it? Even after all these years."

"I guess I still have that affect on women," he said suavely. She laughed, "Or maybe just this one."

His chest grew tighter at her last statement. He clenched his fist on his lap and disappointedly chose not to harp over her declaration. "So, uh, I'm guessing you don't remember the picture then, huh?"

She looked curiously at him. "No…"

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck for the millionth time in the past few minutes. "Yoruichi kinda snapped a picture when I caught you from falling. She asked if it was okay if she used that one," he paused for a bit. "You said 'yes'." He decided to avoid any details that she'd probably shoot herself for saying.

She frowned and looked down to her lap. She thought for a moment and then looked up at him again with a smile. "I guess this is the start of my campaign, huh?"

He gave her a questioning look, causing her to explain herself. "This is the start of showing myself to the world."

He hesitated, "Does this mean… you're fine with it?"

She smiled and gave a determined, single nod. "If it was _that_ good of a picture, then why not?"

"Damn. That was relatively easy. You don't put up much of a fight anymore, do ya Kuchiki?" he said jokingly.

"Were you hoping for a fist fight?" she said with a smirk.

"Hell no. I'm basking in my victory right now," he said in complete accomplishment.

"But if you think about it, you had to deal with me head first in the toilet. Can you really count that as a victory?" she said making a very good point.

He frowned, "You had to ruin it, didn't you?"

She grinned, "Mhm." She then saw it on his lap. Her mouth opened, but words hesitated to come out. Finally she pushed. "Are you reading my book?" she asked with shock.

He looked down at it and then placed it on the table next to him, "Uh, yeah. Why are you so surprised?"

"I don't know. I mean, you've _said_ you've read them. It's just weird _seeing_ you read it."

He shrugged. "I like it. I've always liked your writing," he said simply. "I _was_ the one that submitted that piece you wrote back in that contest in high school, ya know. I think I was the first to realize how amazing you are. I should get credit for that," he said confidently.

"Oh yeah? You don't think you're getting enough credit for all those silly songs you've made? You know? The ones that you've gotten awards for and such?" she said pretending to know nothing, but then finishing with a smirk. She tried not to think about his complement too much.

"Nope. Not enough for me," he said stubbornly. She shook her head.

Casually going into a new topic, Rukia spoke. "So what exactly was going on last night? All I know was that it was some new magazine. I'm kind of surprised Yoruichi would bother herself with something like that."

Ichigo stretched his back a bit, "Yeah, well Urahara is the creator of this new magazine, '_Fallen Angel_'." Rukia's eyes went wide. "_Really_?"

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah. I guess he was tired with all the political newspapers and shit."

Rukia brought her finger to her lip and tapped as she thought, "That would explain why Yoruichi was willing to do a photo shoot for it." The orange headed man just gave another nod.

"But why was it so private? There were pictures being taken in the main room. Why were you back there?" she asked curiously.

"Well supposedly I'm going to be in the first few pages and since Yoruichi was doing the pictures, do you really think she would be like everyone else?" He didn't wait for her to reply. "Yeah," he agreed to her thoughts.

Ichigo watched closely as she rolled her head along her shoulders and rubbed her neck. He then spoke softly, "How are you doing?"

She sighed heavily. "Fantastic," she said sarcastically before looking up at him. "My head is pounding right now. Are you that much of an idiot?"

He shook his head, "No midget, I meant, how are you? I haven't talked to you in awhile. How's your brother?"

Rukia's eyebrows shot up. "Are _you_ seriously asking me about _my_ _brother?_" She couldn't believe her ears.

He exhaled heavily and glared, "Why do you make casually conversation so difficult?"

Rukia held up her hands in defense, "Alright. If you really want to know…" she paused and then answered. "He's on some tropical island right now. He got shot in the shoulder, but he said he'll be fine by the time I see him."

Ichigo gave a chuckle of disgust, "Tough guy," he mumbled.

Rukia just rolled her eyes. Byakuya Kuchiki never _favored_ Ichigo Kurosaki, or visa versa. It wasn't originally because he was dating his sister-in-law, who more or less was his sister, but it started the day his eyes set on him; back when Rukia and Ichigo were just little kids. The reason is still undetermined.

Ichigo felt uncomfortable, but he asked anyway. "What about Hisana?"

Her name hit Rukia's chest harder than usual, probably because she had yet to hear someone say it out loud in months. "She's… no different," she responded softly.

Ichigo looked sadly at the raven haired woman in front of him. She avoided eye contact at the moment. The last time he had asked about her sister was well before their break up those few years ago. He remembered going to visit her in the hospital every three weeks with Rukia's grip on his hand growing tighter and tighter as she continued to talk to her motionless sibling.

Rukia was only six when her life changed. Her family was cut in half as Byakuya was the only one left to take care of her after that. He adopted her as a result. Byakuya had been married to Hisana a year before Rukia had been born, but had been in the family since Hisana was only fourteen. When she was eighteen and he was twenty, he proposed.

"Are you still visiting her every three weeks now that you're far from home?" he asked curiously.

"Of course I am," she said softly, still not looking at him. She then met his amber eyes with her violet. "She's half of my only family. How could I not?"

He smiled softly at her, "I figured you did." He watched her gaze settle on her lap again. He remembered the day he asked what had happened to her sister and he remembered how straight forward Rukia was about it.

"_My parents died in a car accident when I was six. They hit some black ice and went completely off the road. My sister was in the back seat. They were taking her to the doctors… she had found out she was pregnant."_ He remembered her emotionless voice as if she was rehearsing for an oral report for school. He always thought his childhood was hard after losing his mother, but he always looked to Rukia for the strength she possessed. She was so young and lost so many.

"Hey, what's this book you're writing about?" he asked changing the subject. She didn't need to feel depressed while she was enduring a hangover.

Rukia looked up at him with wide eyes, "Um, it's… not really about anything."

He gave her an incredulous look, "So you're writing about jack shit? Well that's gonna be a top seller," he said sarcastically, crossing his arms over his chest.

She glared, "It's about _something_!" She sighed to calm herself down; it wasn't good for her pounding head. She looked away from him for a moment, "I just haven't told anyone anything about it yet."

He leaned back and placed his feet on the hassock in front of him. He spoke with a smirk, "Ohhhh, it's a secret. Too embarrassing for you to talk about?"

She looked at him as if he was crazy, "No."

He brought his hands back behind his head, "Ah, so you're too embarrassed to talk about it with me," he said more as a statement than a question.

Rukia was now confused, "Wait, what?"

His smirk turned into a grin, "I didn't realize you liked writing that X-rated stuff. It's interesting to find out these things after so much time."

She felt her cheeks tinge pink in the dim light. "What?! Dream on, Kurosaki!" she yelled throwing yet another pillow at him.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her discomfort. She quickly added another statement, "Just because you're a porn addict doesn't mean everyone else is."

He raised his eyebrow at her, "I'm not a porn addict." He then smirked, "I don't need to be with all the women in the world throwing themselves at me."

Rukia smirked, "You mean throwing up on you."

He glared, "That would be only you, Kuchiki." The two glared at each other for a few seconds before slowing turning into a chuckle.

She then stared into his eyes for a moment. They had gone backwards in time it felt. Not to the time where they were together, but before that. Like that memory she dreamt the previous day. They were acting like the best friends they used to be and they had both gotten lost in that feeling. She finally said what was on her mind and then, she regretted it. "Senna's probably worrying about you, huh?"

Ichigo's chest immediately fell. He wasn't expecting to hear that and he wish he hadn't. "I told her a friend needed me to take care of them," he said short and to the point.

"Does she know it was me?" Rukia asked curiously before she could think about the question.

He stared at her for a moment and knew he couldn't lie. "No."

Rukia broke eye contact and nodded continuously, not knowing what else to say. "You might want to get back to her."

Ichigo didn't reply. He just sat there staring at her. He tried to read her. From what he could tell, she didn't want him to leave, but she knew he was with Senna now and that made her not want to cross any boundaries. He understood that, but if he wanted to spend time with an old friend, Senna shouldn't have a problem with that. "Rukia," he began, but she quickly spoke.

"I didn't see her at Kaien's party."

He tried to avoid her gaze. "That's because she wasn't there."

"Why not? Isshin is probably dying to meet her. He's still trying to get _me_ to call him 'Dad'," she finished with a chuckle.

He didn't laugh at this, but instead kept his gaze on the floor. "I didn't tell her about it."

Rukia looked suspiciously at him. "What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.

He then looked up into her questioning violet eyes. "I didn't want her to meet my family." She continued to look at him with no understanding. He then spoke again, "The last time I brought a girl into my family life it left them completely attached to her. The old man's still hoping she'll call him 'Dad,'" he said with a sad smile.

He didn't know why he had told her that. He must have felt deep down that he needed to make it even for what she had let him see and hear last night, even though she was unaware of her actions.

Rukia was left speechless. She really had nothing to say. Thankfully, she didn't have to say anything. Ichigo stood up from the chair and began to walk towards the door, but stopped with his back facing her. He turned his head back slightly as he spoke. "Did you dig yourself out of that hole you were in yet?"

She smiled at his back, "Yeah. You're feeling was right. I've been writing like crazy lately."

He nodded and smiled to himself, "Good." He then walked to the door and turned around before completely walking out. "I'll catch you later, Kuchiki."

She smirked, "Hopefully you won't have to any time soon."

"Hey, ya never know. You could see this picture tomorrow and then think you're all buddy-buddy with champagne. I'll end up spending another night in that armchair over there," he paused, "That is, when I'm not holding your hair 'cause your head is deep in the bowl."

"I doubt I'll need you to come running again. I'd be a big ass if I wanted to put myself through _that_ again," she said rubbing her head.

"Whatever you say. But I'm not complaining. It'll give me a chance to finish your book for the fifth time," he said with a wink. "Later, Rukia."

She smiled. "Bye," she said before he walked out of the room.

* * *

Her fingers graced across each key, not stopping to contemplate the thought she had just typed. The words flowed from her mind to her fingertips in a mad frenzy since that orange headed man walked out of her door yesterday morning. She had been basically sitting in that chair the entire time that had past with a few exceptions: food, bathroom and an apology.

She had called up Orihime the afternoon before and made it very clear how sorry she was. She admitted how cold hearted she had acted and that she was not giving any support to her best friend. Orihime tried to apologize for coming off as a mean person, but Rukia quickly rejected it and told her she was now going to do what Orihime said, which was to stop hiding from the media. Everything was back to normal after that.

Now she was sitting back in her chair; her fingers intertwined behind her head, and her chest filling up with air. She exhaled loudly and smiled at the screen. She knew how to acknowledge her hard work; a secret smile and the cracking of her knuckles before she continued.

There was a knock at her door and then Orihime came walking in. "Still at it?" she said in more of a statement than a question. She chuckled, "Is it weird that I'm not surprised?"

Rukia smiled as she continued to type, "I guess not. What brings you to my humble abode?" she asked as she stopped typing and spun her chair around to look at her with a welcoming smile.

Orihime smiled. "Well…" she began slowly. "That magazine came out today. You know the one we went to the other night?"

"_Fallen Angel_? Yeah, Ichigo told me about it. I can't believe Urahara moved into the superstar realm. I thought he liked doing traditional journalism and such," Rukia reasoned out loud.

"I think Yoruichi might have had something to do with his change," Orihime added.

Rukia squinted as she thought, "Weird. They are always seen together yet it's always so questionable on whether or not they _are_ together_," _the two sat there thinking for a minute until Orihime brought them back to earth.

"So the first issue came out this morning," she led in, catching Rukia's attention more now.

The strawberry blonde pulled it out from behind her back and held it out to the sitting raven haired woman. Rukia's mouth began to hang open. She slowly reached out and grabbed the magazine, bringing it slowly closer to her.

The picture didn't end up in the first couple of pages. There they were on the cover. Rukia's chest began to pound. The picture was beautiful. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought they had been dancing and he had dipped her. Her hand was placed on his shoulder, while her other was placed on his chest. His hand closest to the camera was placed on her waist, while his other was wrapped around her; on the small of her back.

Their clothes were opposites; he wore a black buttoned down long sleeve shirt with thin vertical white stripes along with a pair of dark blue jeans. She wore a white button down blouse with a black sketch of a butterfly just visible on her left breast along with a pair of light blue jeans.

The scenery worked perfectly. Ichigo was bent just enough so that the window scene behind them was visible, where a moon and night sky was photo-shopped in yet it looked completely natural. The lighting around them was dark with only the window illuminating them.

The final draw-in was their captivated stare on each other. It was as if everything around them did not matter. And with such a sincere, piercing stare came the slightest bit of a smile across each of their lips.

Rukia took a deep breath. "Wow."

"You're telling me," Orihime immediately said after her. "It's hard to believe you were drunk during that," she added with a chuckle.

"I… I don't-" Rukia began.

"You don't know what to say, right? It's an amazing picture that says so much, but you can't put it into words!" Orihime interrupted with excitement.

"Yeah," Rukia continued to speak slowly with her eyes still glued to the magazine. "It looks-"

"Like a fairytale, right?! Like the happily ever after of a prince and princess!" Orihime said with her excitement growing after ever second.

"Well I don't know if I'd say '_fairytale'_, but-" Rukia began in a correcting tone.

"More like a dream that every girl wished to have, right?! I mean what girl wouldn't want their knight-in-shining-armor hold them like that with the moonlight shining on them?!" she said with her voice coming close to a high pitch scream.

Rukia started to laugh, "Calm yourself, Orihime!" She continued to laugh and shake her head. "I was going to say that it's not half bad."

Orihime's mouth fell open. "That's it?!" she yelled in disbelief.

Rukia blinked at her friend. "What?" she asked not helping the laugh that fell out of her mouth.

"This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!" she said in a surprisingly defensive tone.

Rukia couldn't help but smile, "Well I don't know about that," she said placing the magazine on the desk as she turned to go back to typing. Her fingers started to hit the keys as Orihime looked at her friend as if she was crazy.

The strawberry blonde walked closer to her so that she was standing inches away from her. "You're a very stubborn woman, Rukia Kuchiki," she said with a smile as she shook her head. She pointed to the magazine. "_That_ is a masterpiece whether you admit it or not."

Rukia smirked as she continued to type away, "Or not."

"Suit yourself," Orihime said with a disappointed smile. She began to walk out of the room, "Just don't forget to read the caption."

Rukia simply let, "Mhm," come out of her mouth as Orihime left. Then, curiosity hit her; and it hit her hard. She stopped in mid-typing and looked at the magazine from the corner of her eye. She then took a deep breath before spinning her chair and picking the literature up. After her eyes went over the image yet again, she found the caption.

'_The Most Beautiful And Electrifying Couple Who Refuse It To Be True'_

And despite all her past efforts and all her past annoyances, she smiled.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Long wasn't it? Wow. It took a long time to get out, but I'm glad it's long, so maybe you guys will be happy with that. Hope you liked it. Let me know. Later


	11. My Girl

**A/N:** Hello there! Here is chapter 11! It's a nice long one for you. I hope it pleases you. I didn't really intend on using this song as THE chapter song, but I went with it seeing as it was a particular part with the chapter. You'll understand when you get to it. Song is "My Girl," by the Temptations. Yeah, haha. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nope.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 11: My Girl_

"Alright, so do me a favor and tell me how I ended up here again?" Ichigo said with the utmost regret.

"Oh quit being a baby. It's your turn. Chad already failed with his and we had to run from the damn security guards. Just get it over with," Renji pushed him ahead as he held the camera from behind the bush.

Ichigo flew forward and looked back with a glare at the redhead who was smirking behind the camera. Ichigo then looked forward and took a deep breath. He started his slow walk towards the pool full of many civilians on that hot sunny day.

_**Two hours earlier…**_

"You're such a pansy. You can't kill a small ass spider?" Ichigo said as he laughed.

"Screw you, Kurosaki. You can get bitten by those little bastards and wind up getting a dangerous or fatal disease. I rather not risk it," Uryuu said as he stood away from the wall with the said pest. Ichigo picked up a particular magazine on a table and made his way lazily over to it.

"Yeah sewing kit boy, you could get bitten and even though you're a geek and look like Peter Parker, I doubt you have any luck of ever getting to be as cool as Spiderman," Ichigo said rolling up the magazine and slamming it on the wall. He let the weapon fall to the floor with a slap, walked back over to the couch and flopped down.

"Well at least I'm not scared shitless of whether or not my girlfriend is gonna dump me or not for posing with my ex," Uryuu added with a glare. "And pick up that damn magazine now that you ruined it."

Ichigo took in a deep breath. "That wasn't low at all," he mumbled. He then looked back at his friend who approached the magazine on the floor with a grimace on his face.

"I thought I told you it doesn't matter. Rukia probably doesn't give two shits about the cover. If there's nothing goin' on then I doubt Senna will bother. She'll probably even say how nice it looks."

Chad, who was sitting next to him in Ichigo's living room, spoke up. "So why are you so miserable?"

Ichigo turned his head quickly towards his well-built friend, "Whose side are you on, man?" Chad just shrugged.

"It's a good question though, Ichigo," Renji said before taking a chug of his beer.

Ichigo turned to look at the redhead in the chair. "I'm not _miserable_," he corrected.

"No, you've just been bitchy ever since you saw the magazine," Renji said in response.

"No I haven't," he said in defense.

Uryuu wiped the side of the magazine off on the table it was originally on and then threw it on the orange headed man's lap. "You haven't done anything but sit there ever since you saw this."

Ichigo groaned and held the edge of the magazine off his lap. "Ugh, god. I swear if I have bug guts on me…"

"You'll what?" Uryuu said crossing his arms as a glare was seen on his glasses.

"Don't challenge me, Peter Pan. I'm not in the mood," he said with a glare.

"I thought it was Peter Parker…" Uryuu corrected.

"So we agree?" Ichigo said with a smirk.

Chad started laughing. "That reminds me of the time I dared you to jump off the roof of your house with an umbrella," he said to Ichigo.

Uryuu joined in laughing, "And then he slammed straight into the pool and ended up getting a huge red mark from the impact."

Chad smiled, "Rukia was pissed at us." The room fell silent. Everyone avoided eye contact at that moment. Ichigo was now staring for the millionth time at the cover in which he co-starred on.

"Then I dared you to sing a song outside Orihime's window, but you chickened out," Chad said with another laugh.

"I didn't chicken out!" Uryuu yelled. "I just had a sore throat that night," he added sheepishly.

"Bullshit," Renji smiled and said with disbelief as he finished his bottle.

"Oh yeah? Then why don't I re-dare you?" Chad said in return.

"Jesus, you're grown men," Ichigo added with complete attitude as his eyes were still glued to the cover.

"Then I dare you to propose to the Chinese food guy that gives out samples in the mall!" Uryuu yelled back to Chad; ignoring Ichigo's comment.

Renji laughed, "Well you guys should make this interesting. Care to bet on it?"

Uryuu thought for a moment, "We see who can fully complete their task."

Chad nodded, "How much?"

"Two hundred sounds good," Renji added.

"Two hundred?!" the two yelled in unison.

"What? Like you guys don't have enough cash…" Renji replied in defense.

"Fine," Chad said slightly annoyed as the two reached into the pockets and pulled out their wallets. They put two hundred bucks on the coffee table.

"Are those ones?" Renji asked with a laugh.

Uryuu glared, "I don't usually walk around with millions of dollars in my wallet."

"I'm in," Ichigo said from the couch.

The three men in the room looked surprised at the orange headed man. "What?" he asked slightly irritated.

Uryuu raised an eyebrow with a smirk, "I thought you weren't in the mood for a challenge?"

He shrugged, "You've sparked my interest. Two hundred is it?" he asked as he contributed to the pool on the table.

"Oh I've got the perfect one for you, choirboy," Uryuu said smirking.

"Bring it on, schoolgirl."

_**Two hours later…**_

"Oh, Kurosaki!" Uryuu whispered, yet called after Ichigo with Chad waving him back.

"_What_?" Ichigo said beginning to walk back towards the three.

"Everything but this," the man wearing glasses said as he threw something at the orange headed man.

Ichigo caught it and tried to process what it was. "Since you think you're so cool, you should be able to pull it off," Uryuu added sarcastically.

Ichigo frowned, "Just a Spiderman mask? Are you serious?"

Chad nodded. "What? Are you backing out now?" Chad added with a smile.

Ichigo looked at them like they were crazy. "Hell no. I'm just processing the fact that you guys really are gay," he said with a smirk as he turned and walked towards the pool again.

He took a deep breath and saw the pool full with a lot of people. He grimaced at the sight of children in the shallow end and saw the row of teenage girls trying to get a tan by the side, followed by the row of middle aged women trying to do the same. There was a variety of people and they had no idea what was coming.

He put on the full headed mask quickly over his entire head and continued on his way. His mind quickly flashed to something he hadn't thought about in a long time.

_He sat on the lifeguard stand cracking his neck as the sweat rolled down his temple. The sun was blazing and there was too many to count that decided to go to the pool that day. He was bored to death. No one ever needed him to come to their rescue and today was just too hot for him to sit up somewhere watching everyone else cool off in the water._

"_Hi," he heard from his side. He looked down towards the three girls who were smiling up at him. _

"_Hey," he said somewhat awkward. He tried to pretend like he saw something and moved his gaze onto the water in a fake alarm._

"_You're in my calculus class, right?" one of them said with her shiny blonde hair and red lipstick. She didn't have to say a word; neither did the other two; he knew they were coming on to him. The sad part was he was never really good at letting people down._

_Rukia, Orihime and Tatsuki sat on the ledge of the pool with their legs dangling into the water. _

"_Ugh, don't they make you sick? I hate those bitchy little princess-wanna-bes," Tatsuki said with a grimace. "I can only imagine what you're thinkin' there, Ruk."_

"_What do you mean?" she asked somewhat confused. "I'm fine," she corrected with ease._

_Tatsuki gave her a look as if she was crazy. "Are you serious? They are totally hitting on your boyfriend. I'd expect some sort of death threat out of you!"_

_Rukia just shrugged. Orihime was kicking her feet lightly in the water, "Good for you, Rukia. You're taking the higher road," she said cheerfully._

_The three friends watched the three girls flirting with a certain orange headed idiot and by the time they all saw the main blonde place her hand on Ichigo's thigh, Rukia was on her feet._

"_Alright that bitch is going down!" Rukia yelled quite loud as she was about to storm off._

"_So much for the higher road," Orihime sighed and slowly stood up._

_Tatsuki was already to her feet as well, but she did it in order to hold Rukia back with her hands on the raven haired girl's shoulders. "Tatsuki! What the hell? Let me go! You encouraged me to be angry!" she exclaimed in surprise._

_Tatsuki smirked, "Well yeah, but I rather not have to get rid of the bodies when you're done with 'em." _

_Orihime stood standing somewhat sadly. "Just take some deep breathes."_

_Rukia followed her friend's advice. Suddenly an idea came to her head. She had a smirk on her face. "I'll be back. Don't worry. I won't lay a finger on them," she said, earning Tatsuki's consent._

_The raven haired girl of eighteen began to walk slowly and quite seductively towards the diving board, where you would have to pass the lifeguard stand to get to. She had on the slightest smile as she noticed many of the male specimens, whose path she crossed, stop and stare at the mesmerizing young woman. _

_Ichigo saw her coming and his attention was taken away from the three girls, who became irritated by his captivation of the approaching opponent. Rukia saw the glares that the girls were giving her and she wanted to grin so badly, but remained neutral. Once she was close enough, she turned her head towards Ichigo and winked without a single word, and then continued on her way._

_Ichigo was left to stare at her hypnotizing hips that moved in a well balanced pattern. Her two piece was clearly the young man's enemy due to his want to jump off his high horse and pin her to the ground. Oh the many scenarios that ran through his head at the moment…_

_She made it to the diving board and walked to the very edge where she thought she had achieved victory, but as she looked back at the lifeguard stand, she saw two of the girls place their hands further up on his thigh than before. Then, for the faintest second, she felt like her eyes could burn them to a crisp. Then, without a second thought she dove into the water._

_Ichigo grimaced as he tried to sit as far back in the chair as possible to avoid their touch. He looked up and noticed Rukia had already jumped. His eyes scanned the pool. She hadn't come up yet. His heart began to beat faster and faster and within less than a second, he had shoved the girls out of his way and dove expertly into the deep end. There, underwater, he saw her half floating at the bottom; her eyes were closed._

_He swam quickly, grabbed her and made it to the surface. He pushed her over the ledge of the pool and climbed up quickly with water going everywhere. His hair was beyond wet and it dripped down his face, but he could care less about that at the moment._

_He laid her down and held her chin up slightly and plugging her nose before his lips met hers. Then, she smirked and flew her hands up behind his wet orange head. His hands let go of her face as he needed them to balance him on the floor. After a few seconds of a very passionate and very wet kiss, she let Ichigo lean up. She stared up at him with a satisfied smile as she saw the three girls glare and walk away with their arms crossed over their chests._

_He stared breathless at the girl underneath him until his mind registered what had happened. "What the hell, Rukia! What were you thinking?!"_

_She didn't really think about this part of her plan. All she wanted was for those bimbos to get their hands off her man, but she never thought about what he would do. 'Woops.' She just stared up at him with her mouth slightly ajar as she searched for words._

"_I thought you were drowning! My heart nearly came up my throat and out my damn mouth!" he yelled._

_She frowned and showed a clear face of regret. "I'm sorry," she said with complete belief. _

_He sighed heavily and looked away. "I don't know if I can accept that right now."_

_She leaned up slightly with her elbows. "I get why you're mad. That was stupid of me, but those girls were just… ugh!" she said in annoyance. "I thought the walk would do it, but then I looked up and there was more touching and I swear if I had a knife I would have used it!" she said getting very ruthless._

"_It's not like I would have let them go any farther!" he said in defense._

"_Well, how am I supposed to know?! You're an idiot and don't know how to say 'no'!" she yelled back at him._

"_I know how to say 'no'!" he argued. They were causing quite a scene._

"_You know what? I might have got your adrenaline running but I got their skanky ass fingers off you. I'm not apologizing for that," she said with confidence._

_He was silent and avoided her gaze. She then sighed and placed her hand gently on his forearm. "I said I'm sorry. Come on. You know how protective you are. You get all macho when I'm paired with any guy for a stupid lab," she explained in a calm tone as she stared at his turned face. All she received was silence._

_She sighed heavily. "Alright, fine. Be mad. I said sorry, so there's nothing else I can do," she stood up hastily and brushed off her legs. She leaned down and placed her lips gently on his cheek and left them there for at least four seconds. His heart rate increased yet again. She whispered into his ear and in no way was it supposed to be in a bewitching way. "Tell me when you finally forgive me," she said before walking away towards the restroom so she could change; she had to be at work in less than an hour._

_He sighed as her lips left a tingling on his cheek that spread throughout his entire body. He grunted and then picked himself off the ground._

_She was about turn the corner and enter through the door when he quickly wrapped his arms around her bare waist, pushed her against the wall; which shielded them from an audience. Then, he slammed his lips against hers._

_After a few seconds, he titled his head back to look at her with smirk. Rukia was a little out of breath as she raised her hand to her chest. She then punched him on his chest. "You just scared the living shit out of me! I thought I was booking my future appearance on The Cold Case Files!"_

_He flinched from her fist, but then smiled as he leaned closer to her face again. "I guess we're even, huh midget?"_

_She glared at first, but then rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I guess."_

"_Good," he said pecking her lips. "When you going to work?" he added as he continued to give her light kisses._

_She began to laugh, "I have to be there in about," she was interrupted by another peck. "Forty minutes," she continued._

_He groaned in annoyance. She then raised an eyebrow. "Don't even think about it. The last time you told me to skip work, I almost lost my job."_

_He grinned, "But I bet it was worth it."_

_She smiled and looked up into the air as if she was thinking. "Eh. Not really."_

_He raised both eyebrows. "Oh yeah?" he asked as his fingers traced the top of her swim suit bottom._

_She nodded, "Mhm. I don't really think I'm willing to waste my time again."_

_Ichigo looked into her eyes. "Well if that's what you think, that's fine. I'll just give you a sample of what you're missing." He then pressed himself completely against her as his hands slid up her bare stomach so slowly that goose bumps began to form. His lips moved like magic as her mind tried to absorb every feeling that he was giving her. He leaned off her lips slightly as her eyes remained closed._

_He looked at her smiling face, "Still wasting your time?" She chuckled slightly, "Yup."_

_He then captured her lips again as his hands made it to hold her face. His tongue invaded her mouth and then her body went haywire. He leaned back to look at her again with a grin; her eyes were open now. _

"_Alright!" she said while laughing. "Stop, otherwise I really will miss work again and then I really will get fired! Wait until I'm off work." She began to push him away from her, "Better yet, wait until you're off work. Someone could be drowning right now, ya know?"_

_He raised an eyebrow at her, "You mean pretending to drown?"_

_She smiled and rolled her eyes as she began to walk around him towards the door, "Oh you know it was a good idea. Admit it now that you forgive me."_

"_Who said anything about forgiving you? You gotta earn that," he added suavely._

_She gave a single chuckle, "Piece of cake." _

_He shook his head as he began to walk backwards. "Go change, Kuchiki," he said before turning around and heading back towards his stand._

'Why the hell are you thinking about that?' he yelled in his head. He sighed heavily.

'Alright, let's do this.' He then grabbed the bottom of his tank top and pulled up over his head and threw it on the grass as he walked. He then pulled his jogging shorts down and stepped out of them quickly as he continued to walk towards the fast approaching pool.

He kicked his shoes off, which he had already planned on not wearing socks for this task anyway. He swallowed and without stopping, he took the finally step and dropped his boxers.

Then he ran. He made it to the diving board, where he was told to jump on it three times and then belly flop into the water. He heard shrieks and saw mothers covering their children's eyes. On the other hand, he saw many young women eyeing him up and even heard some whistles; some sounded manly…

Ichigo hit the water hard and he knew that it was going to be damn painful after the shock wore off. He stayed at the bottom of the pool to recover quickly and then swam up and jumped out as fast as he could. He turned around to the pool and with his own little addition to the task; he bowed and then ran off.

He picked up his boxers, put them on and then picked up his clothes as he ran by them.

"What the hell are you sitting there for?! Get in the damn car before the cops show up!" he yelled from underneath the mask as he approached the three men laughing hysterically behind the bush. They all jumped up and began making a mad dash with the half naked orange headed man towards the car.

* * *

They all laughed in the car as Ichigo pulled the mask off his head. He ruffled his orange locks and cracked his neck.

"I'm kind of surprised, Kurosaki. I didn't expect you to remember the jumps or the belly flop. I figured you lose from that," Renji said as he held the camera in the passenger seat.

Chad continued to drive and look in his mirror to make sure the police weren't in sight. "Yeah. Good job. But next we've got Uryuu," he said as he took a turn.

Ichigo smirked as he threw his tank top on over his head. "I can't wait to see this- actually I can't wait to _hear_ this."

Uryuu rolled is eyes, "Just put your pants on, you corruptor of childhood."

"What does that even mean?" Ichigo laughed as he pulled his shorts back on awkwardly in the moving car.

"Those poor kids' minds are scarred from seeing you," Uryuu answered.

Ichigo gave a chuckle, "Those kids should feel bad for _me_! I'm about to go deaf from your terrible singing voice!"

Uryuu was about to throw his hands around his seat mate's neck before Chad hit the breaks. "We're here."

* * *

"Orihime!" Rukia said in shock but she began to laugh. "Since when are you so forward?!"

The strawberry blonde shrugged with a shy smile. "We've been dating for a few months now, but it's like he's afraid to touch me. Is it too much to want him to push me against a wall or something?"

Rukia couldn't help but laugh. This was just weird to hear from Orihime. In fact, Rukia was holding her stomach and found it hard to stand up. Tatsuki was holding her hand over her mouth and avoiding eye contact as chuckles broke through.

"It is too much to ask?" Orihime asked becoming aware of how embarrassing this conversation was for her.

Rukia shook her head as she tried to catch her breath. "No," she said before taking another breath, "It's not too much. But I get it. It's Uryuu. He's had a thing for you since high school. He's probably just too head over heels to know what to do with you."

Orihime sighed. Then, Rukia's phone went off. She looked at it and then smiled curiously. "Renji! What are you up to?" she answered cheerfully.

"Hey Rukia," he said casually. "Do me a favor. Are you at home?"

She squinted at his comment as suspicion grew. "No… I'm at Orihime's with Tatsuki."

"What?! No! I mean-" he responded not knowing what to do. She could hear a familiar voice in the background, but couldn't understand. Renji was then heard talking back, "I'm not going to give it away! Just back the hell up and let me handle this! Rukia," he turned the conversation back to the girl who remained confused.

"What?" she asked trying to get him to talk more.

"I need you to slowly and delicately guide Orihime to a certain location in her house that would allow her to be able to look out on a certain area of her house that can be used to do certain-" Renji said slowly and hesitantly.

"Give me the god damn phone!" Rukia heard the familiar voice again and this time she knew exactly who it was. "Rukia."

Her heart must have skipped a beat when he said her name. She didn't know why, but she found it hard to let words escape her mouth. She cleared her throat, "I-Ichigo?"

"Yeah, hey," he said strangely soft. He subconsciously rubbed the back of his neck. "Can you do me a favor?"

She then got a little more comfortable. She raised an eyebrow even though he could not see her, "Geez Kurosaki, you know there is such a thing as kissing someone's ass for those kinds of things."

She did not expectant to hear him chuckle. The three men even stopped to look at him with surprise. "I know, but I've never been really good at wiping other people's asses either." This time she chuckled. Ichigo heard Orihime speak.

"What's going on? What are Renji and Ichigo asking for?" she asked curiously. Tatsuki didn't seem to care that much, but quietly observed the situation. Rukia shrugged and Ichigo quickly spoke.

"Don't tell her anything that I'm about to say! Say we're calling 'cause we want you to pick us some lottery numbers," he said thinking quickly.

Rukia was kind of stumbled. "Uh… okay." She paused and then registered it, "That's actually really lame."

She heard a growl on the other side of the phone. "Just do it, Kuchiki," he groaned.

She held her hand over the phone and spoke to Orihime, "They want me to pick them lottery numbers."

The strawberry blonde looked confused. "They have plenty of money…"

Rukia just shrugged and gave Tatsuki a wink to let her know something was going on. Ichigo began to talk again. "Even number for 'yes' and odd for 'no'."

"Okay," she agreed.

"Are you upstairs?"

"Fourteen."

"Are you in her bedroom?"

"Twenty-three."

"Does her bedroom have that little balcony that leads to the backyard?"

"Fifty-four."

"Can you take her there?"

"Thirty-eight."

"Remember when I jumped off the roof into my pool when we were kids?"

Her voice growled, "Forty-two…"

"Well this is something like that, but no pain. Well maybe you're ears…" he chuckled. "You'll thank me for it though." He then paused, "How many numbers was that?"

"That was five."

He nodded and then smiled softly, "Did you like the magazine cover?"

She smiled in the same manner and spoke softly, "Two."

He smiled even more, "Me too." He stood there for a second, "You can hang up now and bring her to her bedroom."

"Alright," she said with a soft tone still.

"And Rukia?" he added somewhat urgently.

"Yes?" she said and subconsciously held her breath.

He exhaled, "Thanks."

She exhaled as well, "No problem, Strawberry." He chuckled and then hung up.

"God. It's kind of stuffy in here, isn't it?" Rukia said hanging up the phone.

"What? I think its fine," Orihime said not noticing.

Tatsuki got the hint. "I don't know. It's either getting really hot in here or I'm havin' a hot flash at such a young age…"

"Let's go get some air," Rukia said pulling on her friend's wrist. She led her to her bedroom and opened up the balcony doors.

"Look at that beautiful sunset!" Rukia yelled with a smile. Orihime smiled and stepped out.

Then, they heard the start of '_instruments'_ which were really the voices of three men. Chad and Renji took on the constant bass, while Ichigo took the guitar part to sing.

Then, Uryuu came in. His heart was racing, while he started off with a shaky voice.

_I've got sunshine on a cloudy day.  
When it's cold outside I've got the month of May_

His voice cracked on the word, "May" and the guys found it hard not to laugh and mess up the '_music'_.

_I guess you'd say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl (my girl, my girl)  
Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl)_

They came in with the echo when necessary. And Uryuu felt like he was getting used to it. Orihime was left with her hand over her open mouth. Rukia and Tatsuki were trying so hard not to laugh as hard as possible.

_I've got so much honey the bees envy me.  
I've got a sweeter __song__ than the birds in the trees.  
I guess you'd say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl (my girl, my girl)  
Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl)_

Uryuu was now getting really into it and was having no problem swaying with the song now.

_I don't need no money, fortune, or fame.  
I've got all the riches baby one man can claim.  
I guess you'd say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl (my girl, my girl)  
Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl)_

He put it all out on the line for the last few lines.

_I've got sunshine on a cloudy day  
with my girl.  
I've even got the month of May  
with my girl_

The ending was full of power and he suddenly felt shy once the three stopped playing their convincing instrumentals. He smiled sheepishly up at Orihime. "Well… I'll call you later!" he said beginning to walk off.

"Wait!" she yelled from the balcony before disappearing into the house. Uryuu swallowed hard and then shook his head.

"I gotta get out of here," he said before walking fast towards the front of the house where the car was.

"Yo! Ishida! Maybe you should wait!" Ichigo yelled after him as Chad elbowed him.

"What are you doing?! Let him fail his challenge, man!" Chad whispered to Ichigo. Ishida didn't listen.

Rukia looked down on the three remaining and shook her head with a big grin. Tatsuki was laughing out loud clearly, "You guys are idiots."

Renji laughed, "You loved it and you know it."

The boxer laughed, "Of course I did. Uryuu singing? That is something you can't miss."

Rukia spoke up, "I can't believe he actually went through with the dare you gave him years ago, Chad."

"I know. I was sure he was gonna lose his money first," the giant responded.

"You guys are not betting," she said disappointedly, hoping she misunderstood.

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck, "No?" he said unconvincingly. Tatsuki sighed loudly in disappointment as she shook her head and made her way inside to go down the stairs inside.

"Oh god. Hold on. I don't want to yell down anymore," Rukia yelled before jumping over the ledge and holding onto the drain pipe.

"What the hell are you doing, midget!" Ichigo yelled running towards the wall of the house.

"I've got it covered! Just get out of my way," she said climbing down slowly.

"Rukia! Why couldn't you have just used the damn stairs inside?" Renji asked incredulously.

"What did you expect?" Chad said unenthusiastically.

She was a little less than ten feet above the ground when she decided to try to slide down it instead. This caused her to lose her grip and before she hit the ground she felt arms encompass her. She took a deep breath.

"Way to almost break your neck," the orange headed man said after letting go of her from behind.

Rukia just brushed off her pants, "Well I obviously wasn't going to if you were going to be there to be my cushion."

He glared, "I was only your _cushion_ because I knew you would fall and I'd have to catch you!"

She froze and let those words take over her thoughts. She swallowed and broke eye contact with him. "Thanks," she said softly. He knew how weird it had gotten as well and just replied with a mumble, "Yeah."

"Let's go find Uryuu so I can let him down easy," Ichigo said before walking towards the front of the house. The rest followed him and met up with Tatsuki who came out of the front door.

Once they saw the car in sight, they also saw Orihime and Uryuu… her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, his hands around her waist, while their lips were crushed together.

"Damn," Chad said with a smile.

Rukia shook her head as she crossed her arms over her chest with a grin. "I guess she's getting more contact now," she mumbled to herself.

"Dude! Quit making out! You lost!" Ichigo said with a chuckle.

The two separated with embarrassment of getting caught. They came closer to the group as Renji began to explain.

"So due to Chad and Uryuu not completing their challenges, Ichigo wins."

The orange headed man threw both hands in the air. "That's right!" he yelled cockily.

The two other men rolled there eyes. Tatsuki didn't quite understand. "How did Uryuu lose? We just saw him go through with it."

"He didn't confess his love for her," Chad said unenthusiastically.

Uryuu threw his hand to his face. "This is so embarrassing," he mumbled. Orihime grinned from ear to ear and kissed his cheek.

Tatsuki looked over to Chad and Ichigo, "What did you guys have to do?"

Renji laughed, "How about we just go back to Ichigo's and you can see what they had to do."

Ichigo's eyes grew wide. "What?! No way! We agreed no one would see that!" he yelled with paranoia.

"Let's get going," Renji said, ignoring Ichigo and walking towards the car.

Everyone began to move toward a vehicle, while Ichigo stood where he remained, "Come on guys!" he begged.

Rukia walked up next to him. "What are you so afraid of? We're all friends here," she said with her violet eyes staring into his. She then turned and made her way towards Tatsuki's car.

He watched her retreating form and took in her words. They were finally friends again. After all this time they had made it back to where they started. He couldn't help but let his lips curl into a smile. Then it hit him. He doesn't need her seeing what's on that camera.

* * *

Everyone was sitting down in the living room. Renji sat in a chair with Tatsuki sitting on the arm. Uryuu sat with Orihime on the love seat, while Chad sat on the couch next to Rukia. Ichigo was pacing in the background as Renji tried to figure out how to play the tape.

'I gotta think. Gotta think,' he thought to himself urgently. 'Anyone but her.' He then stopped pacing, 'Well… its not like she hasn't seen me like that… it's just… it's just been awhile!' he yelled in his head with frustration as he started pacing again.

He looked up at his kitchen, 'Ask her to help me get some drinks?' He then shook his head, 'We'd be back in there before we saw Chad pop the question and _not_ put the ring on that guy's finger.' He then smiled as he thought about how his friend lost the bet.

Ichigo then looked up his stairs. He thought about it for a moment and then nodded slowly as he began to like this new idea. He then turned back to the group and leaned over the back of the couch, tapping her on the shoulder. "Hey, can you come with me for a sec?"

She looked at him curiously, "Sure." She got up as Renji continued to yell profanity at the television screen. They began to make their way up the stairs and Ichigo led her into his bedroom. She raised an eyebrow, but quickly dismissed any thoughts that she knew she shouldn't be having.

"Ichi-" she began as she looked around his bedroom. She felt wrong standing in it. It was different now from when she helped prepare him for Orihime's talk show; now he was in a relationship with someone. Regardless of their true intentions in his bed chambers, she felt uncomfortable.

"Sit down," he said motioning towards his bed as he went for a drawer in a dresser on the far wall.

"Uh, I don't think I should," she said sheepishly, which caused him to turn around and look at her awkwardly.

"And why is that?" he asked somewhat suspiciously with furrowed eyebrows.

"It's your bed," she said incredulously without looking at him. "It's just weird!"

He rolled his eyes, "Whatever, midget. Stand then," he said shaking his head as he turned back around and continued rummaging through his drawer.

She crossed her arms and looked around. She took a deep breath and then flopped on the floor sitting Indian style. He turned around with a possession in hand and then raised an eyebrow. He sighed and walked over towards and crashed down to the floor next to her.

"Who said you had to sit on the floor?" she asked trying to defend her action.

"Well if I'm trying to show you something I should probably be next to you, shouldn't I?" he said sarcastically.

She rolled her eyes and then looked at his hands. Her mouth began to open slowly as her eyes grew wide, "Is that…?"

He smiled softly and nodded as his eyes looked back at the object he was holding. "I thought I lost it years ago, but a found it in the past year when I went back home."

They sat there in a minute of silence as they stared at the worn sheet of paper in Ichigo's hands. Rukia slowly reached over and took it out of his grip. She smiled big as she read her ten year old handwriting. She let her fingers trace across the words written on the paper. _'Friends FOREVER' _were the words written in rainbow colored markers. There was a picture of two bunnies on the piece paper holding hands.

"You were always so damn forward," he said with a chuckle as he leaned back on his palms with his legs stretched out in front of him on the floor.

She raised an eyebrow and looked back at him with a knowing smile, "Apparently you liked that about me otherwise you would have thrown this away a long time ago."

He shrugged. "You ran straight up to me before you left the playground that day, handed it to me and said in a threatening tone, 'Keep that forever or else!'," he said in defense.

She gave a laugh and nodded as she looked back towards the paper, "See? Then it worked."

He shook his head at her and moved on. "How old is that thing now? Twelve years?"

She nodded her head slowly and then looked back at him with a sincere and delicate smile. "Almost thirteen. You're twenty-third birthday is coming up," she added seeing as how they met shortly after his tenth birthday.

He sighed, "Yeah. Time is flying by." The two sat silently as Rukia continued to stare at her childhood creation. Ichigo struggled as he began to stand up. He stretched his back once he stood straight up and then looked down at the raven haired woman still captivated by the picture.

"It really has," she said softly with her eyes hanging on the words in the sheet. She tilted her head up to look into his eyes. "And now I'm sitting here next to you almost thirteen years later," she said in a 'look at that,' manner.

He smiled down at her and held his hand down for her to grab, in which she did. "What did you expect?" he said as he pulled her up. She balanced herself and stood staring into his amber eyes again after handing him their memory. "You _did_ say, 'Friends forever,'" he said with a sly smile.

She found trouble believing he had just said that. They had been through a messy couple of years and after all of that, he just reinforced her declaration that she made almost thirteen years ago. She smiled shyly and simply said, "Yeah," before turning and walking towards the door as a blush graced her cheeks. She turned back around once she made it to the door. "Come on, Strawberry. Let's get back downstairs," she said with a kind smile as she made a nod towards the stairs.

He nodded with a smile, placed the picture on his bed and walked out of the room behind her.

"By the way," she started as they made it to the bottom of the stairs. "I hope you didn't think that could distract me from seeing whatever stunt you pulled on that videotape," she said in an all-knowing tone of voice as she strutted back into the living room.

His eyes went wide and then he followed quickly behind her. Renji smirked, "Perfect timing!" he said as the image of Ichigo was now on the screen with his back walking away from the camera.

Then, immediately, Ichigo draped his arms over Rukia and put his hands over her eyes. "Ichigo?! Get off!" she yelled as she got out of his grip and looked at the screen with a smile. He began to panic and as his shirt was seen being thrown to the ground he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and tried carrying her off.

Of course, being Rukia Kuchiki, she was always up for a good fight, especially with Ichigo Kurosaki. She kicked her legs around everywhere and threw her arms over her head as well as trying to elbow him in the gut, which she succeeded in doing. She ran back over behind the couch and saw the final drop of his boxers. Her mouth fell open as a smile began to grow. The rest of the group was laughing, especially the unexpected few that had no idea.

Ichigo wasn't ready to give up though. They had only seen him from behind. He watched for a moment and before he saw himself starting to turn and jump on the diving board, he grabbed Rukia and turned her towards him and wrapped her in his arms close to his body. He had a good grip on her this time and there was no way she was going to get out.

She began to try to break free, but once she saw how close they were, her struggle stopped as she stared deeply into his eyes. They were lost in the other's gaze for what felt like an infinite amount of moments with his arms tightly wrapped around her body so that they were pressed together.

He swallowed hard as he saw her cheeks begin to turn a light pink. He quickly let go and looked anywhere but at her. She watched him act uncomfortable as she found she had lost her breath. She blinked a few times and then casually looked over at the screen; not like it mattered to her anymore. She saw him running back towards the camera in his boxers with his clothes in his hands.

Rukia smiled at the screen and then peeked at Ichigo from the corner of her eye. He was completely red and looking at what seemed like the empty wall. Her smile grew even bigger and the rest of their friends had no idea what had occurred behind them. The screen changed to showing the back of Orihime's house.

She casually took a step to the side so that she could lean close into Ichigo. "I can't wait to see Ishida embarrass himself _twice_," she whispered in order to loosen the tension she knew Ichigo was feeling.

He smiled with his blush almost dead. Ichigo leaned down to her and whispered as they both kept their eyes on the screen. "Don't worry. I'm getting a copy of this."

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Long chapter. Like? Didn't? Too long? Tell me your thoughts. They are getting so friendly! Exciting! Yay! Okay, I'm done. Later


	12. I Need You Tonight

**A/N:** Heh, so here's the next chapter. "I Need You Tonight," by Backstreet Boys! Haha, this can't even be denied from being called an amazing song. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nada.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 12: I Need You Tonight_

"So how do you like this dress?" Senna asked as she twirled around in a circle. Ichigo smiled and nodded.

He walked up to her and put his arms around her waist, "Anything on you would be beautiful." She giggled and captured his lips.

"Are you sure?" she asked again. "I want to look good for your sisters."

He furrowed his eyebrows with a smile still on his lips. His arms were still wrapped around her waist. "Why? You don't have to impress them, ya know."

She shrugged, "I know, but… I can't help it! I want them to like me!" she said throwing a nervous fit.

He laughed, "You'll be fine. If I like you, then you should have nothing to worry about," he said kissing her on her forehead and then letting go of her.

He walked towards the door of her bedroom and then turned around. "I've got to go talk to Urahara about some business. So I'll call you when I'm done, okay?"

She nodded with a smile and watched him leave her sight.

* * *

He stood in the office wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and a t-shirt with a band advertised on it. He sighed, "Well you're my damn manager. You're supposed to tell me when we changed the time of our meeting. You think I have some telepathic powers? 'Cause I don't!"

"Take a breath, Ichigo. It was a simple mistake. I trust you won't do it again," Urahara said casually with his feet up on his desk.

"It wasn't my mistake, you damn whack job! Take some responsibility for once!" the orange headed man yelled back.

"Well there's no need to lose your head about it. I mean, you did mess up your chances of going on tour for months out of the country, but that's nothing to get upset about," the older man said lazily as he yawned. To put it simply, his manager was a little too lazy to have this kind of job. He spoke and acted like a surfer, yet somehow was a very suspicious and sneaky man.

Ichigo slammed his fists on his manager's desk. "Damn it, Urahara! What were you thinking?!"

Urahara stood up from his chair and looked the younger man in the eyes seriously, until a smirk took over his face. "I was thinking, 'what is my client doing being late for such an important meeting?'"

Ichigo growled through his teeth. "Bastard," he mumbled.

At that moment, Yoruichi came walking into the room. "Oh. Are you two in a meeting?" she asked as she hesitated going further into the room.

Urahara looked around the very angry musician and delivered a huge smile at Yoruichi. "No, no. Come in, my dear."

Yoruichi raised an eyebrow as she began to walk in, "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

"I'm sorry, my pet," he said turning back to Ichigo before she could protest yet another nickname. "So it looks like you won't be doing much traveling now, huh?" he asked as he took his seat again.

Yoruichi stood beside Ichigo with a questionable look. "What's going on?" She had come to deliver some photos for Urahara's next issue of _Fallen Angel_, but due to the fact that the three had known each other for years, casual conversation wasn't out of the ordinary.

"He didn't tell me that the time of our meeting changed, so now I'm deprived for touring out of the country," Ichigo said bitterly.

Yoruichi looked at Ichigo curiously, "But it's not like you haven't done that before. You did it two years ago."

"Yeah, but I had to cut it short. Plus, you can't ignore fans just because they are a bit farther away than others."

Yoruichi gave an apologetic face, which wasn't very believable. "I'm sorry," she said in a dramatic sad tone. She then turned to Urahara, "So I brought you some pictures for the next issue."

"Ah," the manager and magazine editor said as he took the envelope.

"Wait a minute," Ichigo interrupted. "That's it? You don't have anything else to say?" he asked angrily.

Urahara pretended to think for a moment, "Hmm. Nope," he said bringing his attention back to the envelope.

Yoruichi then brought up a point to the furious orange haired man. "This means you won't be traveling with Senna now, doesn't it?" she said in a curious and almost excited tone.

Ichigo was now confused, "What?"

"Yes," Urahara said as he continued to look through a pile of pictures. "I heard she signed onboard yesterday for that tour you would have been going on."

Ichigo's mouth fell open. "You knew she had decided to do this; knowing that I could have gone and toured with her, but you _still_ didn't tell me?!"

Urahara shook his head with his eyes still glued to the pictures, "Should have kept that in mind before you showed up late."

Ichigo glared extremely hard. He took a deep breath and spoke through his teeth. "If I didn't owe you anything and if I didn't have an idiot as a father that loved you, you would be dead right now."

The older man laughed, "You are so cruel, Kurosaki."

Ichigo began to walk away, "How about you call me the next time I _forget_ before I show up too late?"

"Good idea. I'll be in touch then!" he said perkily as Ichigo slammed the door behind him.

Yoruichi smiled mischievously at him. "You are a very sneaky man, Kisuke."

He leaned back in his chair with a grin. "What ever do you mean, my dear?" he said innocently.

She rolled her eyes at the nickname, "You purposefully wanted him to not go on tour."

He pretended to be surprise. "Me? Want Ichigo to stay here? Now why would I want that?" he ended with a smirk.

"Oh, I don't know," Yoruichi began in the same attitude as she sat down on the corner of his desk, "Maybe because a certain female singer will be away for weeks at a time and a particular writer's love interest has been away?"

Urahara raised an eyebrow with his smile never leaving his face, "What's your point?"

"What are you planning, Kisuke?" she asked with a seductive look.

"I'm not planning anything." He then pretended to gasp. "What do you think _Kurosaki's_ planning?"

She shook her head at the man in front of her.

* * *

The room was completely dark. The shades hadn't been raised for days now. She had made her far journey back to her home town in secret the day she found out. It was always said to her that she was a strong person; someone that could take any hit and still be standing afterwards. There was proof of that; just ask any of her friends that were around her for the past few years. But it had been four days and she had failed to find the strength she needed. It had been four days and she had failed to ask for help; she would deal with this on her own like she always did.

* * *

Ichigo was frustrated. He couldn't believe how idiotic that man could be. And not to mention the fact that Senna had not told him of her scheduling to tour out of the country. She wouldn't usually do something like that. He needed a pick-me-up. So he went to his favorite coffee shop and got himself a java chip frappuccino.

He sat at a corner table and rolled his neck along his shoulders with his eyes closed. It was stressful. What would happen now that Senna was leaving for weeks and he was staying there? They had only been dating for a few months and he wondered if it was strong enough to last something like this. Not to mention Urahara had screwed him of a career opportunity.

"Hey there Ichigo," he heard from his side. He opened his eyes cautiously and looked in the direction of the voice.

He gave a nod, "Rangiku. What's goin' on?"

"Nothing really. I'm getting a cup of coffee. Gin is in the bathroom," she replied casually. "Are you okay? You look a little stressed out."

He sighed heavily. "I'm fine. Just wantin' to kick Urahara Kisuke's ass, but nothin' new there."

Rangiku frowned. "Are you okay?" she repeated.

He put on a fake reassuring smile, "I'm fine." Then, Gin walked up with his usual sinister smile that gave you a bad impression.

"Ichigo Kurosaki! Fancy meeting you here," he said as he placed his arm around Rangiku's shoulder.

Ichigo glared; not being able to help it due to the sleazy look of the man in front of him. "Yeah. How ya doin', Gin?"

He shrugged with his smile not changing, "Doesn't matter. I'm with Ran right now. Couldn't be better."

Rangiku leaned into him more from his comment, which made Ichigo want to vomit. No one liked the couple. He was such an ass to her before. He probably hadn't changed a bit, regardless of what he may have told Rangiku. Everyone couldn't believe she took him back.

"Well we better get goin'," Gin added. Rangiku looked sadly at Ichigo again, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Ichigo smiled again, "I'm fine. Go ahead. I'll talk to ya later." She smiled at him in return, but then remembered something. "Oh, have you talked to Rukia lately?"

He frowned curiously, "No. I haven't."

Rangiku sighed. "She hasn't talked to anyone in a few days now. She's not answering her phone and a few of us have tried seeing her at her place, but it looks like no one's home."

Ichigo frowned even more. "You haven't heard anything?"

"No. That's why I was asking you," she said with a sigh. "Well I'll see ya later then," she said with a wave. "You sure you're alright?"

Ichigo smiled again, "Yes, yes. I'm fine. Get out of here already!" he yelled jokingly. She laughed and then the two left. Ichigo's smile fell from his face as their backs were now to him.

He stretched in his chair as he took his last chug of his caffeinated delight. Then, his cell phone began to ring. He reached into his pocket and held it in front of him as he read the name on the LCD screen. Ichigo was surprised to see the name and hesitated in answering. He felt an immediate feeling of worry work through his system; something he didn't expect. Then, he picked it up. "Hello?"

There was silence. He knew someone was on the other side of the phone, but they had not spoken. "Rukia?" he added after not getting an answer. Then, the call was disconnected.

Ichigo brought his phone away from his ear and looked down at the screen where it read 'call ended.' He frowned and called her back, but it went straight to voice mail. He hung up before he heard the beep.

Ichigo thought about it for a moment. He stared at his empty cup as he decided what to do. And then, he picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Hey Senna," he said urgently. "I'm sorry, but we're going to have to cancel our plans tonight. Something came up."

* * *

She was sitting on her couch in the dark. It was in the middle of the afternoon, but she had no idea of time with her residence blocked off from the world.

Her face was buried into her hands as she was hunched over on the edge of her seat. There she sat in a t-shirt and short shorts; one of the loungy outfits she had been wearing in the past few days. She felt as if her world had come tumbling down. Hope was something she had little faith in now and she suddenly believed she held a heavy weight on her shoulders.

It had been a downward spiral ever since she got the phone call. Her eyes had become so red. She had not gotten any sleep and although it would have been normal that she felt sadness to the point of crying her eyes out, she had yet to portray any emotion. It was as if she had become numb.

Then, the doorbell rang. She lifted her head slightly up out of her hands and looked at the door with a questionable look. The young woman made no attempts in communicating with a single soul during these past few days. To be quite honest, she didn't know how they would react to her. She knew she wasn't in the right state of mind, so she kept herself away from the world to avoid causing any sort of damage that she wouldn't want to be held responsible for.

But it had been four days now and she had only gotten worse. She wanted to reach out for help, but she was never good at doing that sort of thing. She was always the shoulder for everyone else to cry on, but when it came to herself, she had learned to keep it all inside. Although there was one person that could always get her to spill her guts, but that was different. Time has gone by and she shouldn't expect him to come running every time she needs him.

She looked at the door as the inner fight continued inside; whether or not to have the courage to ask for someone else to help her. Her thoughts began to run wild until the doorbell rang again. She closed her eyes tightly from the stinging of her eyes and clenched her fists as she took a swallow. Then, she stood up and walked in a determined manner towards the door.

The doorknob was right there and her hand was reaching out towards it, but she stopped in mid reach. Her mind began to fight with her body, but knocking was then heard on the door. She took a deep breath and turned the doorknob; secretly thankful for her persistent visitor to keep her on track.

_Open up your heart to me  
And say what's on your mind, oh yes  
I know that we have been through so much pain  
But I still need you in my life this time_

She opened the door and was shocked to see him staring down with his amber eyes looking deep into her soul. She saw just how worried he seemed to be through his face, posture and movement. "Ichigo," she softly said with both shock yet expectancy.

"Rukia, what's goin' on?" he said with his voice being the finishing touch to break her icy exterior.

Her body felt like it could collapse, but her stubbornness kept her defiant even after opening the door. "What are you talking about?"

He sighed and continued staring sadly at her. He looked exactly how she should be. "You haven't talked to anyone in four days," he looked behind her and saw the dark house. "And your house looks vacant," he said walking in past her and looking around to see if she indeed had been living in it.

_And I need you tonight  
I need you right now  
I know deep within my heart  
It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right  
I really need you tonight_

Rukia sighed heavily and shut the door. She then walked her way back in front of Ichigo to stop him getting too far into her domain. His eyes met hers again and he spoke again, "Tell me what's wrong."

She looked away from him. She couldn't take his stare. It was too penetrating. He could easily get it out of her as long as her eyes stayed on his, but things shouldn't be as simple as they used to be. Things were different. "I don't know what you're talking about."

_I figured out what to say to you  
But sometimes the words they, they come out so wrong, always they do  
And I know in time that you will understand  
That what we have is so right this time_

"Look at me," he said softly. He could see how withdrawn she was and it only reminded him all too much of himself; back when he gave up on everything.

She had refused his command and instead frowned slightly. He took a step closer to her, placed his hand under her chin and moved her head from the side to look back at him. Her heart fell deep into her stomach when his caring touch melted her skin. His fingertips were on fire and she knew everything she had created in the past four days was being boiled away. "Please," he said with his voice incredibly soft. "You don't have to do this to yourself."

And just like that, her eyes filled with water and her throat began to clog up. "My-" she began but found her jaw was now trembling. "Hisana's… gone."

_And I need you tonight  
I need you right now  
I know deep within my heart  
It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right_

Ichigo felt the pang in his chest. His mouth fell open and his hand dropped from her chin as he watched the raven haired woman in front of him hug her stomach with her head bowed down towards the floor. His fists had subconsciously clenched and as he saw her begin to sob, he knew he needed to do something. He slowly reached out and began to place his hand on her shoulder, but once his fingertips began to touch her, she threw herself against him with her palms and forehead placed on his chest.

_All those endless times we tried to make it last forever more  
And baby I know  
I need you  
I know deep within my heart  
It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right  
I really need you, oh_

He was shocked for the first millisecond, but his arms found their way to wrap her in a tight embrace. She was letting it all out now. He felt her long awaited tears soak through his cotton tee and her fists grip handfuls of the cloth. He then knew what to do. He pushed her away.

Her chest immediately filled up with regret as the thought of rejection flooded her mind. But then, he gracefully tilted her back and scooped her up with one arm under her knees and the other supporting her side against his body.

She swallowed and spoke through sobs, "Ichigo- what are- doing?"

He began to walk up the stairs, "I'm bringing you to your bed."

Rukia didn't question it, despite her normal rebellion and began to cry against him again as he made his way towards her room. He placed her gently on top of the covers and watched as she curled up into a ball. He then walked to the other side of the bed and sat down at the edge.

She sniffed a few times. "What are you doing?" she asked weakly.

_I need you tonight (I need you, oh I need you baby)  
I need you right now (It's gotta be this, it's gotta be this)  
I know deep within my heart  
No, it doesn't matter if it's wrong or it's right  
All I know is baby_

"I'm taking off my shoes," he said as he kicked them off and then lied down on the bed next to her.

He lied down with his hands folded behind his head and looked up towards the ceiling. Her jaw trembled as another wave of emotions came flooding through her body. She closed her eyes tightly to prevent an outburst.

Then, she felt her body being pulled towards the center of the bed. Her eyes snapped open and she saw his hand gripping onto her shoulder, pulling until her face lay on his hard, yet comforting chest. Her mouth hung slightly ajar as her eyes remained surprised in shock as her hand rested flatly on his chest in front of her face.

"Stop. Just stop already. Who are you trying to impress? I'm the only one here and I know it's not me," he said in an amused manner. "Everyone knows that Rukia Kuchiki is strong," he began as she felt his chin rest gently on top of her head. "But even the strongest are left vulnerable at some point."

She felt her barrier begin to break once again before he spoke one last time with his words so penetrating and effective that her hand on his chest gripped his shirt in her fist. "Don't hold anything back."

_I really need you tonight_

And that broke her. Despite her continuous rants of convincing herself that things were different, at the end of the day, everything that happened seemed to prove her wrong every time. For example, she needed him more than ever and he came running; something that she somewhere deep down wished he hadn't done, but was more than grateful for his comforting touch and ability to shatter her defense mechanism to any emotional breakdown.

So there they lay. Hours could have passed, but time was irrelevant at this point. His arms were wrapped around her body as she continued to cry on his chest. But after some time, her sobbing died down and they were left in a comfortable silence with her occasional sniff.

Finally, she spoke with a soft and quiet voice. "Why did you come here?"

His chin still rested on the top of her head as he replied back calmly. "I heard from Rangiku that no one has heard from you in a few days. And when you called me, I felt like something was wrong. But when I picked up, you hung up. I had to see if you were alright."

She responded in silence. After a few minutes, she spoke again. "I went to Karakura the day I got the call. That was probably about four days ago. It's hard to judge time when you haven't really been sleeping," she said in the same soft and calm voice.

Ichigo just listened quietly as she continued to talk. "I raced there as if there was a purpose," she said in with a chuckle to explain her feeling of being ridiculous. "They told me she had died and I took the first plane back home as if someone needed me there, like someone was waiting for me."

She laughed again, "The only thing waiting for me was the sudden burden that's left on my shoulders."

"What burden?" Ichigo asked quietly.

Rukia hesitated, but then answered him, "I'm the only one left."

Ichigo's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but his question was answered before he could ask.

"Everyone is gone. My parents, my sister. I'm the only one. Of course Byakuya is still my family, but I'm the only blood relation to my family history. I feel like it's all up to me to make sure we don't die out." She subconsciously traced her fingers across his cotton t-shirt as she spoke, not realizing the effect it was having on Ichigo's calm. Shivers continued to shoot up his spine.

"Byakuya will never move on. He loved Hisana so much," she said with a sad smile. "He showed up for the funeral just in time. I don't really know how he found a way home. Supposedly he was in the middle of a crucial mission, so it's a wonder how he found out. But there he stood staring down at her coffin with his usually lifeless eyes, yet somehow I felt like I could see the desire he had to hold her in his arms one last time. I don't know," she explained softly.

"All I know is that I never saw him so weak; so vulnerable before. Even when the accident happened, he looked down at her lying in that same bed where she lay for more than a decade and he smiled the slightest bit with love radiating off him. Now," she stopped as the sad smile fell from her face. "I watched him clench his fists until his knuckles were beyond white. I know he blamed himself. Why? I don't really know. He must have felt like he failed to make her better."

Ichigo began to slowly and gently run his fingers through her raven locks that rested on her shoulder. Rukia had failed to register this; subconsciously thinking it was normal. "But how could he even take on such a burden? It doesn't make any sense. It wasn't even his fault. He stayed by her side since the beginning. He's done more than enough," she said with pity dripping from her tongue. "So now that there's no reason for him to be so cautious when he's away, I feel as if I have lost everyone," she said shamefully.

"And there's that one fact of never being able to hear what she thought of my constant rambling when I visited her. Was she proud of me? Did I do everything I could to prove I was an acceptable sister?" She paused. "I needed her so much. Even though she couldn't reach out and hold my hand or say a single word, she was still someone that I depended on. I barely remember the sound of her voice, yet I feel as if I could imagine her talking to me; telling me everything would be alright." She sniffed again, "But now I'll never be able to hear her voice outside of my own head. She's gone," she ended softly.

His chest ached from her words. He could only relate with the loss of his mother all those years ago. He closed his eyes to push back the pain he went through.

"I'm the only one left and soon there will be no one." She frowned and clenched her fist on his chest as her voice became bitter. "I won't ever have a family. I won't ever let anyone in. And I won't ever fall in love."

After a few seconds past and the sorrow that filled his chest began to settle, Ichigo finally spoke. "Do you honestly think Byakuya has no incentive to come home anymore?" he asked so softly and innocently that she could have mistaken him for a child. "Hisana was the love of his life, but you are his sister; blood or not. He loves you, Rukia and he will always be your family." He paused, "But not only that, don't you know how much all of your friends care about you? You've known them since you were a kid and they'd do anything for you. Is that not a family?" he asked in the same soft but effective voice.

He continued, "And letting people in hasn't ever been you're strong point," he paused again. "But you've always let me in. Doesn't that count for something?" He had a small smile on his face even though she couldn't see, "Maybe you're being too hard on yourself."

He felt her take a deep breath and heard her sigh heavily as her fingers began to dance across his chest again. The orange headed man spoke yet again with his face now serious as he kept his chin on her head. "And you really can't predict if you'll ever fall in love. Maybe one day, when you least expect it, you'll run into some lucky guy who you'll immediate give your whole heart to. That is… if you haven't already run into him."

Rukia's breath caught in her throat. Her back stiffened. Her fingers stopped their constant movement. Her skin tingled. And her heart paused before going erratic.

Ichigo smiled sadly, "Shuuhei's one lucky guy." And just like that, her heart fell deep into her stomach. She swallowed hard to keep her emotions in check. Then, she pushed off of him gently and sat up for the first time in hours. Her piercing violet eyes stared into his shielded ambers as she searched for a certain emotion. What emotion she was searching for was beyond her knowledge, but she knew that throbbing in her chest; that yearning she so desperately wanted to fulfill.

She slowly leaned towards him as he watched her without flinching or reacted at all. But when she got inches from his face, her arms swung around his neck as her head rested over his shoulder. She hugged him tightly, "Thank you," she said sincerely in his ear as her eyes remained tightly shut.

He smiled softly as he slowly embraced her back. "Anytime, shorty."

Rukia couldn't help but smile at his sudden joking attitude before pulling herself away from his warm embrace; something she immediately missed. She chuckled as she looked into his caring eyes. "Always running out of nowhere and saving the day," she said as she shook her head and a smile played across her face.

Ichigo smirked in return and casually reached up and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, leaving her feeling a sensation from his touch and her breathing hitching. "Somebody's got to do the dirty work."

Rukia broke eye contact, not being able to take the intensity of his eyes and conceal her uncontrollable emotions at the same time. Then, another uncontrollable factor came into play as a muffled sounds was then heard.

"When's the last time you ate?" he asked with a laugh causing her to look back up at him.

She smiled sheepishly at him as he began to make his way off the bed. "I'll order a pizza," he said making his was out of the room.

"Where are you going?" she asked confused to why he left the room.

He walked back into the doorway, "I was going to throw my shirt in your dryer real fast." He smirked at her, "Its a little damp."

Then, she noticed his shirt was indeed wet and sticking to his chiseled upper body. She blushed and looked away. He chuckled, "Don't worry about it, midget. You shouldn't be embarrassed when you've gone through losing your bathing suit top in the pool filter. _This_ couldn't beat _that_. Not by a long shot."

Rukia immediately opened her mouth from shock and then threw a pillow in his direction causing him to dodge out of the way. "I told you never to bring that up! And I know you told Kaien!" she yelled as she heard laughing down the hall.

He jogged down the stairs with a grin on his face and made his way towards the laundry room. On his way he pulled out his phone, called his favorite pizza place stored in his phone and ordered an extra cheese and bacon pizza. He knew it was her favorite.

He stood in front of the dryer as he watched his shirt spin in a circle through the clear window. The air conditioned house left him with the occasional shiver due to his shirtless upper body.

His thoughts were carried away even though his gaze was settled on the machine. When he woke up this morning he knew what was planned. He would go to Senna's for a little bit, then see Urahara about a meeting and then go out to dinner with his sisters and Senna. He would slowly introduce his girlfriend into his family. It was a big step; a step he had been trying to avoid for a few months now. But how much longer could he push it off without giving her the wrong idea? He had to commit. There wasn't a reason for him not to.

But as he stood in _her_ laundry room, staring at _her_ dryer with _his_ shirt inside, he found it ironic that after all his effort to move forward on that particular day, all he ended up doing was going backwards. And for once in a very long time, it didn't seem all that bad to him.

His eye caught a vase of violets sitting on a table in the hallway and he smiled. She really hadn't changed. He could picture this exact moment, only both of them being four, maybe five years younger. He would be standing, waiting for his clothes to dry after they had been caught by an unexpected thunderstorm and she would be waiting for him in her room. The sight of flower vases filled with violets of a purple so beautiful that it could only remind him of her eyes, was around every corner in her childhood house. She only lived with Byakuya, who was away often, so the decorating was all her doing.

He would wait patiently, pick out a single flower from the closest vase and smell it deeply. It was a natural, relaxing and sweet smell; a smell that reminded him of an all too familiar raven haired girl waiting for him upstairs. He would stand there with the flower in his hand, a smile on his lips as he pictured her with a blanket wrapped tightly over her shoulders as she shivered from being soaked. He would be looking forward to keeping her warm.

But now he stood there, subconsciously having walked in front of the vase. He reached down, pulled out a single violet and smelt it, closing his eyes in the process. It brought back all those memories that he thought were long ago buried. But as the beeping of the dryer was heard, signaling its end, he was brought back to the present.

After putting on the now warm shirt he made his way back upstairs. He began to turn into the room saying, "The pizza should be here in about fif-" he cut himself off.

His eyes settled on her carefree body. She lied on her bed with her face in his direction. "-teen minutes," he finished softly as he began to smile at her long over due rest. He stepped closer and looked down at her facial expression. She looked free of any past pain. Free from any worries or fears. He hesitantly raised his hand and caressed her soft porcelain cheek. When he pulled away, a smile appeared across her rose colored lips.

Ichigo smirked and placed the single violet a foot away from her face on the bed. He took a step backwards and sat down in the same arm chair from the few nights before. "Take your time," he said softly as he picked up to read what was responsible for her success.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mhm. Two significant things happened in this chapter, well three if you divide things up. So hope you liked it. Later


	13. The Special Two

**A/N:** Here's chapter 13. Named after "The Special Two," by Missy Higgins. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Nope.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 13: The Special Two_

He looked at his feet as he sat comfortably on the edge of her bed. Ichigo was waiting for her to come out after changing. He had come over because one: he was bored beyond belief now that Senna had been gone for three days; two: Rukia's company was always better than anyone else's; and three: Rukia only seemed to _feel_ when Ichigo was around. He knew this.

Orihime and Momo had visited her within the past few days and they only received a nod of acknowledge from her. But once he showed up, her face lit up. The two girls looked at each other with bewilderment and then went on their way, seeing how the raven haired woman's attention was completely on the orange haired man.

Senna had left three days ago and with a very long and drawn out conversation about how their relationship was going to work thousands of miles apart. The end result: Ichigo Kurosaki and Senna Otonashi were on a break. He had yet to tell Rukia this bit of information. Ichigo being Ichigo was still confused on the matter. Was he a free man? He liked to think he was at moments like these…

"Can you do me a favor?" she asked with her back facing him as she stood in front of her mirror.

He looked up from his seat at the edge of her made bed with raised eyebrows. He hadn't seen her exit the bathroom and she stood with her slender yet perfect back revealed from the open zipper of her little black dress. His mind couldn't really make his body move at her request. A feeling of desire circulated through his veins yet reluctance prevented any budge.

"Ichigo?" she asked with a raised eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder at him.

His mouth dropped open as he rummaged through his mind to speak. "Eh, yeah?" he squeaked out. He coughed to clear his throat.

Rukia began to chuckle. "Can you zip this up for me? It's a bit cold in here," she said as she began to rub her arms and looked back into the mirror at her strapless dress.

He swallowed and finally stood up, making his way slowly towards her awaiting form. His fingers shook as he extended his hand towards her bare back. He flared his nostrils, frustrated by his inability to focus, but he inhaled her lavender scent without meaning too. His thoughts became even more jumbled. Then, he clenched his fists.

"Any day now, Strawberry," she chuckled, causing him to look up over her shoulder into the mirror. She wore a carefree smile that caused shivers to run up his spine. His chest felt warm.

"Sorry," he said softly as he finally zipped the dress up slowly. He took a step back and watched her turn around to meet his gaze.

"Now," she began with a smirk on her face. "How about you get in that suit that's waiting for you in the bathroom?"

Ichigo took a moment to process what she said. "What?" Apparently he still didn't get it.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "You," she began pointing towards the orange headed man, no more than two feet ahead of her. "Go," she added walking with her fingers and a point towards the bathroom. "Put on suit."

He blinked a few times and then frowned, "Thanks, Tarzan. What I mean is, _why_?"

She smirked, "Gee, Jane. I thought it would be nice if I had a date for this damn dinner that Urahara and Yoruichi are organizing. I know you were invited. I _also_ know that you are trying to get out of it."

He squinted suspiciously. "How could you possibly know that?" he asked in an attitude as he put his hands into his jean pockets.

She raised an eyebrow, "Do you know who you're talking to?" Rukia stuck out her hand. "Hi, I'm Rukia Kuchiki. I've only known you since we were ten," she said sarcastically as her hand dropped by her side.

He rolled his eyes, "Well what makes you think you can change my mind?"

She smirked, "Okay, let me try this again." She stuck out her hand again. "Hi, I'm Rukia Kuchi-," she began but was interrupted with his hand pushing hers down to stop her.

"Okay, okay. But it's not so simple. I at least need to hear some sort of persuasion come out of that irritating mouth."

"Fine. No problem," she said confidently. "If we show up together, it's like we're helping them out. Our cover _did_ put them at the top. It would help get them more stars for their magazine if people saw us coming back to them." She was surprised that she could easily speak of the suggestive magazine cover without blushing.

He frowned with a laugh as he matched her stance with his arms crossed over his chest. "And why would I want to help Urahara after he lost me my chance to go on tour?"

Rukia sighed as her strong posture slouched. "What if I told you I didn't want to go alone?"

His eyes settled easily on her uncomfortable stance. He smirked, "Now we're being honest."

She rolled her eyes, "Shut up." She stood straight up again with her arms crossed tighter. "I just rather not get another, 'How do you feel about your boyfriend not seeing you since the beginning of the month?' question. There's only one other question I hate more, 'Are you seeing anyone?' I want to murder people who ask that one." She said bitterly through her teeth as she looked off into the distance.

Ichigo's eyes were a little wide by how fierce she was at the moment. He wanted to take a step back, but she apologized before he could. "Sorry," she said taking a deep breath. She looked back up into his eyes. "I'd really like it if you were there so you can keep me away from stupid questions."

"Do you mean keep you away from the questions or you committing homicide?" he asked with his eyes still wide.

She smirked, "Both."

He smirked back. "Fair enough," he said as he began to walk towards the bathroom.

"Wait. That's it? That was pretty fast. You didn't throw your usual hissy fit yet," Rukia said almost disappointedly; unprepared for his fast defeat.

He shrugged as he continued to walk. He looked over his shoulder, "I figured keeping you out of killing someone for the second time is a good enough reason." He reached the door and turned around to face her with the door halfway closed between them.

"Second time?" she thought hard. And then her mind clicked. The time she punched that photographer square in the face was the first. "That was luck that you were there!" she said in defense.

"Yeah, _luck_," he said with a laugh as he shut the door.

She yelled louder so he would hear, "What is that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing! Hey, if you want me to go, let me get dressed!" his muffled voice was heard yelling back.

She squinted towards the door in suspicion. She would remind him later.

* * *

"So why don't you tell me how the hell you got this suit," he said as he pulled it tighter by the collar. "It fits perfectly."

She was waiting in her living room as he came walking in looking as spiffy as she hoped- maybe even better. His black suit went perfect with the red dress shirt she had picked out. His black tie was another plus in her opinion; plain but sharp. She smiled up at him as she hit the off button on the remote and stood up. "I made a few calls."

He raised an eyebrow, "By 'a few calls' you really mean, 'Rangiku'?"

Rukia grinned and brushed by him, making her way towards the front door. Ichigo turned and watched as she strutted towards the door down the hall. She had always been a shorter girl, but her figure always amazed him, and no doubt every other man that came across her. This little black dress did exactly what it was supposed to. Her legs moved down the hall slowly with her black high heels making them look longer than usual. He watched closely with his breathing becoming heavier as her hips moved in a constant pace.

She turned as she picked up her little purse and looked back at the orange headed man in bewilderment. "Coming or not?"

Ichigo blinked a few times, "Y-yeah." He walked firmly towards her as he gritted his teeth secretly. 'I should _not_ be thinking that,' he thought in annoyance.

Rukia pulled out her keys from her purse, "So I might need to stop and get gas, just to warn you."

Ichigo groaned, "How about we just take my bike?"

Rukia just laughed and began to open the door. He quickly placed his palm on the door and shut it closed. "I don't get what's so funny," he said with a frown.

"You know I hate that thing. Why on earth would I agree on torturing myself?" she said in a tone that was in disbelief of his suggestion. She tried to pull open the door again, but his hand was still pushing against it.

He rolled his eyes at her attempt to open it and her response. "You know I'm a good driver. Come on. A little trust?"

She took a deep breath. "Ichigo," she said in an annoyed and unconvinced tone.

"Live on the wild side a little," he suggested.

She raised an eyebrow at him, "I tend to do that too much when I'm with you."

_When I'm with you_. That sounded way too good coming from her lips. He tried not to let it get to him. He failed.

"We won't even need to stop for gas," he added to help his plea.

She sighed and after a few seconds of silence, "If I so much as get a scratch, I will kill you."

Ichigo smirked, "Yes ma'am." He removed his hand from the door and allowed her to open it.

They walked to where his motorcycle was parked in front of her house and he handed her the black helmet. "Put it on," he said as she stood in a defiant stance.

He sighed. "I'm trying to make sure you don't get a damn scratch, now put the damn helmet on," he said shoving it at her.

Rukia huffed and took it. Thank god she had decided to leave her hair down.

Then, before Ichigo got on, he took off his suit jacket and held it out to Rukia. Her eyes grew wide. She blinked a few times and then was about to say how she wasn't cold, but he spoke first.

"The wind is gonna freeze you. Especially when you're wearing that," he said not looking at her and sitting down on the bike. His hand was still stretched out to her with the jacket dangling from it when he finally met her eyes.

Rukia felt shivers run up her spine. She even let a shiver show. "See. You're already cold," he said with the smallest hint of a smile.

She began to feel her cheeks turn red, so she quickly grabbed the jacket and put it on. Not to her surprise, it was way too big. But she couldn't help but get lost in its warmth.

She then got on the motorcycle and placed her palms against his back. He titled his head back, "Hold on tight," he warned.

In response, she wrapped her arms around his waist. A smile grew on his face as he hit the gas. They made their way down her driveway and Rukia quickly told him to slow down and stop at the end.

"I don't think there's a point. We'll be fine," he said in confidence.

"You don't know this road like I do," she argued. "The turn around the corner is unpredictable. I already hear a car coming around it fast. Trust me."

He sighed and stopped at the end, but within two seconds of his complete stop, a jeep came flying by them. Ichigo's eyes were wide. "Holy shit," he said with relief.

Rukia relaxed against his back, "I told you."

"Why don't you tell them to put up a sign or something?" he asked as he pulled out.

She shrugged against him, "I guess I like to live on the wild side."

Ichigo smiled and rolled his eyes as he sped up.

* * *

When they arrived they were welcomed by a number of celebrities. Urahara and Yoruichi really had a reputation. They had been family friends for both Rukia and Ichigo for so long that they tended to not realize how much renown they had.

They spoke with a few acquaintances and moved on. It was for the best not to spend too much time talking to one person at these sorts of occasions. They were able to find a spot in the corner of a room and hid for quite some time.

"So now that we've shown our face, how long do we have to stay before we can get the hell out of here?" Ichigo said with a hopeful face.

Rukia sighed and took a sip of her champagne. "I wish I could say 'now.'"

Ichigo sighed heavily and leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes. He began to imagine being anywhere but there. Oddly enough, his mind did not carry him to another country where his girlfriend or _ex_-girlfriend was involved in a tour that was meant for him, but was instead, it took him back to his brother's birthday party. Rukia and him had stood outside of Kaien's house on the small wooden bridge near the pond and reminisced.

He then peeked one eye open and stared at Rukia who was staring at the open party as she took another sip. He quickly reached over and pulled the glass out of her hand.

She began to reach for it and opened her mouth to argue, but Ichigo spoke before she could speak. "I'm not going to let you get drunk and leave me to go through this party sober. How fair is that?"

She glared and then began to smirk, "Fine. We'll leave after dinner. Besides, it's not _that_ boring."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" he added with a look like she was insane.

She rolled her eyes. After a few seconds she remembered something that sparked her interest. "So how about you tell me what you were talking about back at my house?"

Ichigo was completely clueless. He raised an eyebrow without saying a word. She sighed, "We were talking about how you saved me from killing someone before… I said it was luck… remember?"

"Ah," he said with a smirk. "I remember," he said and then took a sip out of Rukia's champagne glass.

She waited a few seconds, "And?"

His eyes went slightly wide. "What?"

Rukia groaned. "You were being stupid! I want to know what the hell you were hiding!"

Ichigo frowned with a chuckle, "Keep complimenting me. You might get somewhere with it," he said sarcastically.

Rukia looked straight into his eyes. "Was it or was it not luck that you got me out of that sticky situation way back when?"

He stared into her eyes for a minute and then sighed. "It was not," he answered formally. Rukia frowned, looking for an explanation. He spoke seeing this. "I was still trying to get you to talk to me. Orihime gave me a call after having lunch with you. She's one of your best friends, yes. But I grew up with her too. Its not like she wouldn't help me out if she thought it was alright."

Rukia's mouth opened wide. "Orihime?!" It was quite the outburst. Ichigo looked around and saw many people eyeing them up.

He put on a suspicious smile and spoke through his teeth. "Try not to draw attention to yourself," he said with a sigh following.

"Remind me to kick her ass," she said with a frown.

"You wouldn't hurt her," he said with a laugh.

"Then remind me to kick _your_ ass."

He leaned back against the wall, seeing how the excitement had died down, "Don't get all worked up. That was months ago. She was only doing what she thought was best."

"Fine, I'll do the next best thing," she said crossing her arms over her chest.

"What's that?" he asked raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I'll have her invite you to one of her home cooked meals."

* * *

The dining room was enormous. The two sat at the same table as Momo and Toushirou. Ichigo had placed his suit jacket on the back of his chair and rolled up his red dress shirt's sleeves to his elbows. It was surprisingly hot.

Momo continued to flirt with her boyfriend, while he tried his hardest to ignore her tempting behavior. Rukia and Ichigo knew he secretly loved Momo's cheek pecking and hand grabbing. The two non-couple rolled their eyes at the couple's behavior and avoided each other's gaze thinking it would be awkward. Ichigo looked to his left at nothing in particular, while Rukia, who was sitting on his right, looked to her left hand as she drummed her fingers lightly to a familiar tune.

Ichigo looked at her hand from the corner of his eye and began to smirk. He leaned over so that his mouth was near her ear. "If I could make you mine, I'll go wherever you will go," he sang his lyrics smoothly into her ear.

Her heart skipped a beat, startled by his voice resonating in her mind and that he had actually heard her.

"Are you going to admit that you are finally bored, Kuchiki?" he asked with a smirk; his voice still smooth in her ear.

She felt her hands begin to tremble and she quickly clenched her fists. She swallowed. "Why would you think that?" she asked more quietly than she intended.

His smirk turned into a grin as he continued to whisper into her ear. "You started to drum your fingers to the beat of one of my songs."

She began to get control of herself and she quickly raised an eyebrow of hers as she pulled away from him to look at him. "Well isn't someone a bit self-obsessed?"

He leaned back in his chair and smirked as he rolled his eyes. He looked in front of him with his hands crossed behind his head. "Twist and turn it which ever way you want, Kuchiki. The fact remains."

She squinted at him, "And what fact is that?"

He turned his head slightly to look at her. "You like my music," he said with a goofy grin.

She raised both her eyebrows, "And that makes you happy?" She blinked a few times as if she was waiting for him to say something else. He didn't. "You knew I liked your music. Why is that such a surprise?" she asked in annoyance.

He shrugged as turned his head straight and closed his eyes. "I just never pictured you actually listening to my CD or anything. It's strange."

Rukia rolled her eyes. "_You're_ strange."

He sat up straight and looked at her, shaking his head. "Real mature."

She smirked, feeling as if she had won some sort of battle. She leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. The two seemed to both see the same thing occur on the other side of the table. After much protest, it seemed Toushirou had finally given in and he had reached over and intertwined his fingers with Momo's.

This should have had no affect on anyone. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. But Ichigo and Rukia were taken over by a feeling that surprised even them. He looked down at Rukia's hand that had been drumming a song- no, Rukia's hand that had been drumming _his_ song. His hand gripped his knee tightly as his eyes stayed focused on her beautifully crafted hand that was pressed palm down with her delicate fingers outstretched. Little did he know, her eyes were watching her hand as well.

He began to pull his hand off of his knee when she clenched her had into a fist on the table and dragged it across the table until it reached her lap. Neither one looked at the other's face and neither knew if the other's thoughts even resembled their own.

Rukia bowed her head and held her clenched fist in her other hand. She frowned at her behavior. 'As if he'd ever hold my hand like that again,' she thought with furrowed eyebrows. 'Accept that already, Kuchiki. You even have someone who loves you. Think of Shuuhei!' she yelled in her head.

Ichigo slowly rested his hand back on his knee. His eyes saddened. He silently exhaled out of his mouth as if he had been holding his breath for minutes. His eyes looked at Rukia through his peripheral vision. She looked as if she knew what he was planning. She held her hand in her lap with anger on her face.

His chest felt heavy as worry flooded his body. 'Oh god. What have I done? Did she know I was thinking about trying something? She couldn't have! I wasn't even sure!' he argued in his head. His hand clenched his knee as he closed his eyes tightly. 'Please… please don't let this ruin anything. I won't do anything again, I promise. Just don't let her run away from me again,' he begged silently.

"Thank you, ladies and gentleman for coming to our dinner party!" Urahara yelled with a grin as he stood on a chair at the table he had been eating at in the front of the room. Yoruichi sat in her chair next to him with her arms crossed over her gold dress with rolling eyes.

"I'd like to thank my darling, Yoruichi, for aiding this magazine with her amazing talent," he said smiling down at her. Applause was heard throughout the room as cameras flashed. He then looked up across the room. "I'd also like to thank-," he continued as Rukia began to ignore the unneeded speech.

She thought about running out of the house as fast as possible, which would mean taking off her heels and sprinting with them in her hands. She definitely had enough of being here. Momo and Toushirou weren't helping either. That made the tension within the room worse. It wasn't like she wanted to be away from Ichigo; not at all. She just needed to be in a different atmosphere with him. This place seemed too… encouraging. She was afraid she would do something stupid and end up ruining this newly acquired friendship. That was the last thing she wanted. Besides, why would she want to do something when she was clearly already taken? She looked down at her watch and sighed heavily.

Ichigo wasn't paying much attention to Urahara either. He never really did listen to him anyway, except when he clearly scheduled meetings with him. He will never forget that…

He sat tapping his foot anxiously against the wooden floor. He desperately wanted to get out of there. He hated being there in the first place, but he could simply reach over onto the table, pick up the knife and cut the tension in the air. He just wanted to get some fresh air. Maybe that would make this easier. He looked over at Rukia and saw her looking at her watch. She sighed heavily. 'She wants to leave,' he assumed. 'She didn't want to leave before. I knew it. I made things awkward. Damn it!' he yelled in his head as his eyebrows furrowed in frustration.

"Toushirou Hitsugaya, I owe much of my thanks too. You're sponsorship means the world to me," he said in such an ass kissing way that it made Rukia and Ichigo want to vomit. And by the look on Toushirou's face, it made him feel the exact same way.

"Finally, let's give a round of applause to the reason why _Fallen Angel_ is such a success. If they had not created such a beautiful masterpiece, the eyes of many would have never rested on this magazine. I'd like to thank Ichigo Kurosaki and Rukia Kuchiki for their more than appreciated debut cover," he finished with his hands held over his head as he began to clap. The room erupted in applause… even whistles.

Ichigo's mouth dropped open. He slowly formed it into an awkward smile as his hand cautiously raised and gave an uncomfortable wave. Rukia's eyes went wide as her cheeks began to turn a deep crimson. She sunk lower in her chair. Cameras flashed wildly.

Urahara began talking again. "I hope you enjoy the rest of the party!" he finished as he got down from the chair and chatter began throughout the room.

"Time to leave?" Ichigo asked without looking at her; still stunned by Urahara's unexpected 'thanks'.

Rukia still had her head bowed to her lap with her cheeks still burning. "Yes," she said quickly, causing them both to stand.

"See you later," Ichigo said waving his hand at Momo and Toushirou, but before he could even turn, Rukia had her hand firmly gripping Ichigo's bare forearm as she began to pull him in the direction of the exit.

He was too shocked to react, but after her surprising yet comfortable warm touch was accepted in his mind; when he realized he was almost ten feet away from the table, he stopped. "Wait, my jacket!" he said as she let go of him and he grabbed the jacket off of his chair and threw it over his shoulder.

He made it back towards her, now disappointed that she no longer was going to pull him along. 'No. Why would you be disappointed? That's stupid, Ichigo,' he reprimanded himself.

"Let's go," she said in a cold manner without looking at him as she led him towards the door again; this time without her touch.

"Kuchiki! Kurosaki! How about a few pictures with the camera? Maybe a few questions?" a voice was heard from their side, followed by many flashes. They looked and saw a group of about six interviewers with their own personal photographers by their side. The two internally groaned. 'Too late.'

"We're kind of in a hurry," Ichigo said sheepishly with a smile.

"Where you two off to?" a man asked with a smirk.

Rukia fought back the urge to glare. This was another question she could accept under the category that is death worthy. She put on a fake smile instead, "Well I've got a lot of work to do. Ichigo's my ride, so he's taking me home."

"Wasn't he also your date?" the same man asked with a curious smile.

Rukia's muscles tightened. Ichigo knew this wasn't the best idea after considering what he thought to be a mistake at the table, but he placed his arm around her shoulders anyway, in order to calm her. He gave her a light squeeze. Rukia was thankful for his action.

"Yes, we did come here together," Ichigo answered with a smile. "But that doesn't mean anything. We came as friends. No big deal," he shrugged it off.

As more pictures were taken a woman asked a question. "Both of you have such an amazing fan base; where so many people have posters of you on their walls. Do you know how many of them would actually be fine with the two of you as a couple? Even when _they_ dream of marrying you?" the woman asked in a more acceptable tone. Rukia and Ichigo seemed at ease by her question.

Ichigo opened his mouth to speak, but then he closed it. He smirked, "I really don't know how to reply to that."

_I've hardly been outside my room in days,  
'Cause I don't feel that I deserve the sunshine's rays.  
The darkness helped until the whiskey wore away,  
And it was then I realize the conscience never fades._

Rukia was surprised by his lack of words as she looked up at him and then back at the reporter. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?" she said sweetly with a curious glint in her eye.

The reporter was a bit dumbfounded. "Uh, sure."

Rukia subconsciously leaned into Ichigo more. "Why do you think people would be fine with that? I can't really wrap my mind around it."

Ichigo looked down at Rukia with caring eyes. His grip grew tighter. He looked back at the reporter, awaiting her response.

_When you're young you have this image of your life:  
That you'll be scrupulous and one day even make a wife.  
And you make boundaries you'd never dream to cross,  
And if you happen to you wake completely lost._

"Well, I guess it's because when the two of you are together… it just seems like theirs something more. You guys have a past. And you're really cute together. It's probably just a bunch of wishful thinking."

Rukia looked up at Ichigo with a warm smile that matched his. Their eyes locked for a moment. It was as if they were trying to see what everyone else saw between them. The sad part was… they both secretly knew it all along.

Rukia turned her smile back to the woman as the pictures continued to flash around them. "We're still in our own relationships though."

_But I will fight for you, be sure that  
I will fight until we're the special two once again._

Ichigo spoke up. "Well actually…" he hesitated. "Senna and I are on a break. She's doing her tour and I'm stuck here. We thought it was for the best."

Rukia quickly looked up at him; her eyes wide. She squinted in an attempt to say 'Why didn't you tell me?' Ichigo smiled apologetically.

_And we will only need each other, we'll bleed together,  
Our hands will not be taught to hold another's,  
When we're the special two.  
And we could only see each other, we'll bleed together,  
These arms will not be taught to need another,  
'Cause we were the special two._

Another reporter came in. "Looks like Kuchiki had no idea."

"I don't see how it matters anyway. Rukia is still seeing Shuuhei. That's a good enough reason to question people's _wishful thinking_," Ichigo finished beginning to get agitated.

"You sound a bit bitter about that, Kurosaki. Plan on fighting for the girl?" the first annoying reporter asked with a cocky smile.

Rukia brought her hand to her face to cover it as she shook her head.

"No, but if you want I could plan on fighting _you_," Ichigo said beginning to raise his voice and taking his arm off of Rukia's shoulders.

_I remember someone old once said to me:  
"That lies will lock you up with truth the only key."_

The raven haired woman's eyes went wide as she removed her hand from her face and stepped in front of the hot tempered orange headed man. She made herself let out a few chuckles with a fake smile on her face, "Such a sense of humor." She chuckled again. "Well I really need to get going! Lots of writing to do!" she said as she grabbed Ichigo's forearm once again and dragged him out the door in record time.

_But I was comfortable and warm inside my shell,  
And couldn't see this place would soon become my hell.  
So is it better to tell and hurt or lie to save their face?  
Well I guess the answer is don't do it in the first place._

She continued to pull him behind her until they reached the motorcycle. Her nostrils were flaring and she continued to take deep breaths as she looked out into the night sky. He looked down at her. Seeing her upset made him less upset for some reason. Maybe because the only thing he wanted to do when he saw her like this was bury her in his arms. He shook his head from the thought and then looked down at her hand still on his arm. He smirked as he finally let out a cough to emphasize she was still holding onto him.

_I know I'm not deserving of your trust from you right now,  
But if by chance you change your mind you know I will not let you down  
'Cause we were the special two, and we'll be again._

She looked down and softly said, "Oh," as she let her hand softly graze the rest of his arm, all the way down his wrist before her hand met her side. She looked off into the night sky again. He missed her warm touch.

"And I thought I was angry," he said with a bit of humor as he leaned on his bike and looked at her.

_And we will only need each other, we'll bleed together,  
Our hands will not be taught to hold another's,  
When we're the special two.  
And we can only see each other we'll breathe together,  
These arms will not be taught to need another...  
'Cause we're the special two._

"I'm not mad about any of the questions. That was foreseeable." She turned to face him. She had a hurt face displayed for him to see. "Why didn't you tell me you and Senna were on a break?"

He was surprised. He didn't expect her act this way about that. "I don't know. I didn't see the big deal," he shrugged.

"Ichigo, you didn't see the big deal? I'm your friend. Friends tell each other things like this," she said in a very hurt tone.

"I'm sorry," he said with attitude. "What do you want me to do? Tell you something as soon as I do it? '_Hey Rukia, I just bought a few rolls of toilet paper. I'll call you back later when I actually wipe my ass with it.'_"

_I step outside my mind's eye's for a minute.  
And I look over me like a doctor looking for disease,  
Or something that could ease the pain.  
But nothing cures the hurt you, you bring on by yourself,  
Just remembering, just remembering how we were..._

She glared at him and shook her head. "You know what I mean, Ichigo. Don't be an asshole." She crossed her arms over her chest, "This happened three days ago. Why wouldn't you tell me something like this?"

"I don't know!" he said with an exasperated laugh. "I don't know why I didn't tell you! Okay? It's not like I've been upset about it. I'm fine with it. If it didn't bother me, why should I waste your time?"

_When we would only need each other, we'd bleed together,  
Our hands would not be taught to hold another's,  
We were the special two.  
And we could only see each other, we'd bleed together,  
These arms would not be taught to need another,  
'Cause we're the special two._

Her hard expression fell as she leaned against the bike next to him and looked into his amber eyes. "Don't you get it, Ichigo? You could never be wasting my time. If it's about something going on in your life…" she hesitated and then smiled sheepishly. "I want to know about it." His voice caught in his throat from her genuine smile; a smile that was only meant for him.

Her voice then revealed a past hurt he wished he could say wasn't his fault. "I don't want you to think you can't open up to me. I've seen _that_ 'Ichigo' before. I want to do whatever I have to in order to prevent that again. This time… I won't fail." She was determined.

She smiled again and playfully shoved his shoulder, "Plus, it's not fair if I do all the opening up and you get to sit there listening all the time. My mouth will run dry sooner or later."

He smirked and rolled his eyes as he turned his head away from her. He looked back at her violet eyes almost immediately. "Alright. I'm sorry."

She nodded. "Now let's get out of here."

He smiled and handed her both his jacket and helmet. There was no hesitation this time.

* * *

She got off his bike, handed him the helmet and began to walk up the few steps to her door with his jacket still on her. She turned back halfway and tilted her head, seeing how he hadn't moved from the vehicle. "Not coming in?"

"I thought you were planning to write?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged. "You're good inspiration anyway. Couldn't hurt to have you around," she added as with a smirk and walked into her house.

He smiled to himself and shook his head as he turned off his bike. He made his way up the steps with a jog. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Rukia had just placed down her purse.

He followed closely behind her as she made her way into the living room. "You know you can take that jacket off. It's like a hundred degrees in here."

She continued to walk into the room as she pulled the jacket tighter around her. "You know I always run at a different temperature than you."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah. You're freakishly cold all the damn time. It's probably 'cause your dead or someth-" he was cut off by the sight in front of him.

"Byakuya!" Rukia yelled in shock. The middle aged man sat in an arm chair in the silent room. His head rose slightly from her call, signaling him to stand.

She immediately ran over and threw her arms around him. He awkwardly held her in return.

He looked down at his sister and registered the jacket on her. He looked up with a hard posture and glare. "Kurosaki," he said trying to hold back his irritation caused by the mere sight of the orange haired man.

"Byakuya," Ichigo greeted in the same manner with more glare in his eyes.

"Maybe I should leave," Ichigo said with his glare still focused on the older man.

"No, there's no reason for you to go," Rukia said in a desired tone.

"Maybe you _should_ leave," her brother said coldly with his eyes still locked with Ichigo's.

"Byakuya," she said a warning and a frown.

"Well then I think I'll stay," Ichigo said with a smirk growing on his face as his eyes remained on Byakuya's.

Rukia looked between her brother and her… well, Ichigo, and she knew this probably wasn't a good idea. She had been trying to get them to get along for years. She hadn't gotten as much as a budge from either of them.

"So what brings you here, Kuchiki?" Ichigo said with a sting of bitterness in his voice.

"I'm planning on spending some time with Rukia. What brings _you_ here?" he said in the same manner.

Ichigo smirked, "Spending time with Rukia."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "Since when?"

The orange headed man thought for a moment, "Few weeks now."

The older Kuchiki looked at Rukia for a moment and then back at Ichigo. "Seems you've forgotten what this _man_ did to you a few years ago, Rukia. Do I have to remind you of your emotional state?"

"Byakuya," she said sternly in order to stop him.

"You've forgiven him after all the pain he has put you threw?" he frowned angrily with his eyes never leaving Ichigo.

"Byakuya enough," she said again to stop anything worse from being said.

"He was never good enough for you and never will be. Let the past go, Rukia, before you get too excited by the candy box when there is no candy left inside it," he said bitterly.

"Enough!" she finally yelled. Ichigo and Byakuya both looked at her finally. She took a few deep breathes. "That's enough," she said with her voice more steady. The phone began to ring and she fought on whether or not to answer. "Ah damn it. I'll be back," she said leaving them in a room alone. She knew this would be a mistake.

The two men watched her leave and then the older man spoke. "What are you trying to do, Kurosaki? Are you trying to hurt her?"

Ichigo glared. "Why would I want to do that?"

"Then why am I staring at you right now in her house? Why are you here?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to answer, but he found no words. He closed his mouth. Was he hurting her by coming back into her life? He did that months ago when they tried being friends again. They haven't gotten into a major fight yet… but how long will that last? His eyes wandered away from the man in front of him as he thought.

"You don't even know, do you?" Byakuya asked curiously. Ichigo continued to look away from him as his eyebrows furrowed. Byakuya spoke again. "You lost her years ago. Give it up."

Ichigo's face then smoothed out. He was not frowning or scowling. His eyebrows were no longer furrowed. He looked up and met his gaze. He spoke softly with gentle eyes, "I can't."

"Why not?" he asked after seeing the sudden change in the younger man in front of him.

"Because… I love her," he said with a shrug and a sad smile. "I don't know whether it's in a best friend kinda way or a protective family member kinda way or the way that I used to feel about her. All I know is that I love her." He then frowned, "How do you expect me to give up on something like that?" He paused, questioning if he should cross that line. "I would think you should know about how hard it is to give up on someone you love."

Byakuya's face was unreadable. The silence filled the room for possibly an entire minute. It seemed as though Ichigo's suggestion to his late-Hisana had been the final clincher to this conversation. Finally, Byakuya spoke. "If you do anything to cause her pain, I _will_ see to it that you are dealt with. I believe you remember what it is I do," he said with a cold stare.

"Yeah," Ichigo said softly. "I got it." Rukia came walking back in with her fingers rubbing her temple as Byakuya walked past her making his way towards the kitchen.

"Hey, I'm gonna get going," Ichigo said motioning towards the door with his thumb pointing over his shoulder.

"You really don't have to go," Rukia said with a saddened face. "Did he say something else? Ignore him. He's just overprotective."

Ichigo smirked, "It's fine, really. I have some practicing I need to get on anyway. Catch up with your brother," he said in a casual command.

She raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Yes, master," she said sarcastically.

He let out a chuckle, which surprised her. His mood had completely altered. She didn't know why, but she liked it. "That's the way you should respond to me," he said back with a grin and playful ambers.

She rolled her eyes, not helping the smile on her lips. He began to walk backwards down the corridor that led directly to the front door. "Catch ya later, Kuchiki," he said with a smirk and then turned around.

She felt her chest expand from his charismatic smile and captivating stare. She wanted to stare into those eyes for hours, but he broke the connection too soon for her. She yearned for more. And as she watched him open the door and leave her posture dropped. She smiled at the closed door as her thoughts ran wild.

"Rukia?" Byakuya called from the kitchen.

Her eyes opened wide, surprised by her sudden interruption to her daydream. "Coming!" she yelled as she made her way to her brother.

_These arms would not be taught to need another,  
'Cause we're the special two…_

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Here is your faster than usual update. Hope you liked it! Questions, concerns, comments? Later


	14. Take It All Away

**A/N:** Interesting chapter I think. Anyways. Song is old time Ryan Cabrera "Take It All Away." And this entire chapter is basically one scene. The second one doesn't count because it's kind of short. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Non.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 14: Take It All Away_

"So when's the last time you talked to him?" Momo asked as she hugged a couch pillow to her chest.

Rukia leaned back in her loveseat and leaned her head back so that she was staring at the ceiling. "Last night. He called me when it was three in the morning so that he wouldn't wake me or catch me while I was at the book signing."

"He woke up at three in the morning to call you?" Momo said beginning to gush. "That's so sweet!"

Rukia sighed, "Yeah." That's all she could really say.

"Alright. I got coke and sprite. Pick, pick, pick!" Rangiku said coming in from Rukia's kitchen as she juggled three cans in her hands.

"Coke," Rukia said unenthusiastically. Rangiku threw it over to and Rukia sat up quickly to catch it. She did successfully, but gave an incredulous look towards Rangiku.

"Might not want to open that right away," she said as she handed Momo her can.

"Thanks a bunch," the raven haired woman said with pure sarcasm as she placed the can on the table in front of her and then leaned back to her original position.

"I bet he's dying to see you!" Rangiku said getting back into the conversation that was taking place before it was interrupted.

"Yeah," Rukia said softly. "He sends me texts messages saying he loves me and misses me every chance that he gets."

"He should be coming to visit you soon," Momo inputted.

"Maybe," Rukia replied in the same tone.

"You don't seem very excited about it," Rangiku commented on Rukia's emotionless response.

The woman in question shrugged. "I've just got a lot of things on my mind. Of course I'd be happy about my boyfriend coming to see me." She sat there thinking. 'Yeah. Of course I'd be happy…'

"What's on your mind?" Momo asked innocently.

Rukia remained in her position with her head leaned back, staring at the ceiling. She let out a heavy sigh, "Everything."

Rangiku rolled her eyes as she sat on the arm of the couch, next to Momo. "Care to elaborate?"

"Not particularly," the raven haired woman replied casually.

"Come on, Rukia," Momo said caringly. "Talk to us."

Rukia let out an annoyed groan. "It's just my editor is hounding me for some work. Then there's the fact that I haven't left my house in almost a week because there's just too much to do, so I'm feeling like a prisoner in my own house. Plus, my brother is staying here, which means I haven't been able to see people that much. And to top it off, now I can't write a damn thing," she blurted it all out, leaving her a bit out of breath.

Momo frowned, "But you have plenty done. I don't get it. You've been writing like crazy and only recently started giving away chapters."

"I was told I'm expected to have it out in stores by fall."

"But it's almost July!" her innocent friend exclaimed.

Rukia let out a single chuckle, "Tell me about it."

Rangiku squinted in confusion. "How is it even possible to get out that fast?"

"They're editing it as I give it to them and basically we're all going to get addicted to Lunesta because of it," Rukia said with a sigh. "Sad part is, I'm so stuck," she said dropping her head into her hands.

Momo and Rangiku frowned sadly at their friend. Momo spoke up, "Well how do you usually get inspiration?"

Rukia looked up, "I spend time with all of you and someone sparks something. It's all luck."

Rangiku smiled, "Well then, there you go! Let's go out!"

The raven haired writer groaned again and buried her face in her hands again, "I _can't_. I can't waste time gambling on whether or not I'll hit the jackpot when I'll probably end up forgetting by the time I get home to write it down. Might as well stay here and bang my head against the wall for something to fall out – same chances of coming up with something." She sat back up with her face now visible.

Momo frowned as she began to ponder the situation. Then her face lit up.

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Light bulb," she said emotionless towards her friend.

"We'll have everyone come here!" Momo said with excitement.

The raven haired woman immediately started to shake her head, "No, no, no. Not when my brother is staying with me. You know how he is," she warned.

"Rangiku waved her hand towards the defiant woman as if it were no big deal. "Byakuya needs to loosen up. Don't worry about it. I'll talk to him," she said with a wink.

Rukia let out a loud laugh, "Ha! If I let _you_ talk to him, I'd probably be moved halfway across the globe." She shook her head. "Byakuya's not a people person. Plus he's not a fan of some people," she said the last part sheepishly. The two friends looked at each other with the same thought in mind from Rukia's remark.

Rangiku sighed sadly, "Then we won't have _him_ over."

Rukia laughed, "Oh yeah. That's real nice," she said sarcastically.

"Well sacrifices have to be made at the moment. You're in dire need of work," Momo explained.

Rukia crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head to the side to look away. "Well there's really no point in having people over if it's gonna be that way," she said casually without realizing what she was really saying. Her eyes went wide. 'What the hell did you just say, Rukia?' she questioned herself.

"What?" Rangiku asked for both herself and Momo. It was something that startled both of them, but there was no mistaking it. That both clearly heard her and they both clearly understood her.

Rukia didn't reply to Rangiku's question. Instead, she continued to stare off to the side with furrowed eyebrows as she questioned her remark.

Rangiku frowned with determination. "Screw Byakuya, then."

Rukia's eyes went wide again and her head snapped towards the blonde's direction. "What?" she asked with surprise.

Rangiku continued. "I think he should understand more than most people how important work is. This is for your job," 'And happiness,' she added in her head. "So he should just suck it up. Kurosaki isn't even a bad guy! He's practically a hero to some people. He should be thrilled you're with someone who is that good and successful."

Rukia let the word 'with' ring in her mind, but instead of correcting her like she usually would, she decided not to comment on it. Instead, she took a different approach. "Thank god he's not her right now, otherwise you would have boosted his already off the charts ego."

"Then I guess it's a good thing I didn't hear it, huh?" a voice came from behind her. Her back straightened from the sound of his voice and she found herself having trouble swallowing. She turned around to find him leaning his shoulder against the doorframe with a tantalizing smirk on his lips.

She then glared, "How long have you been there?"

He smiled even more at her annoyed appearance. "Not long, midget. Just enough to hear Rangiku compliment me and then hear you shoot me down."

Rukia turned back around. "Hmph." She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

Ichigo walked around so that he could sit in the recliner placed closer to the loveseat rather than the couch. He grabbed Rukia's unopened soda on the table in front of her as he walked by and then sat down on the chair.

"Hey!" Rukia complained, but Ichigo ignored her.

"So what we talkin' about?" he said nonchalantly as he opened the can and took a swig. This caused Momo to giggle and Rangiku to smirk as Rukia continued to glare.

"Nothing. We're talking about nothing," Rukia said bitterly.

Rangiku ignored her as well and stared at the new arrival. "We're having a little get together here later. Can you help us tell everyone?"

Ichigo almost spat out the soda in his mouth. He looked at Rukia with shock. "_You're_ throwing a party?"

Rukia began to growl as she turned her gaze from the orange haired man towards Rangiku, who opened her mouth when she shouldn't have. "No, I am _not_ having a part. I have too much work to do."

Momo stayed quiet; too polite and nice to do anything against her friend's wished; although she did agree with her blonde friend…

"Yeah, but you can't do any of that work without inspiration!" Rangiku said and then turned to Ichigo. "We're her inspiration," she explained casually before turning back to Rukia. Ichigo opened his mouth to speak a silent "oh" in understanding.

Rangiku spoke again. "Plus, you said yourself that you haven't seen people in a while. You need a break."

Rukia sighed in defeat. Ichigo then realized something. He began to laugh, "How's dearest Byakuya going to feel about this?"

Rukia groaned. "He might be fine with the party if I explain it, but the thing he might be pissed about is _you_ being here," she said looking at Ichigo.

The orange haired man smirked, "Then I'll make sure to show up early." He downed the rest of the soda and then placed it on the table next to him.

Rukia rolled her eyes, "You two are so childish."

He began to laugh. "You know you love it," he said with his eyes closed and his hands locked behind his head.

She raised an eyebrow as if he was insane. "Why would I love both of you fighting over what's best for me?"

His eyes shot open and immediately found hers. A playful smile was on his face. "Who said anything about you loving Byakuya fighting for what's best for you?"

Rukia found herself unable to respond. Did she like Ichigo fighting Byakuya in order for him to be around her? She never really thought of it. Maybe that's why she tried to get her brother to understand more than she tried for Ichigo to understand.

The silence was broken by Rangiku's phone ringing. She looked at the LCD screen and then picked up with a smile from ear to ear. "Hey there," she said flirtatiously. The rest of the room gained the same feeling in their gut that made them want to punch a wall. "Alright, I'm on my way. I didn't realize what time it was," she said looking up at the wall clock. "Okay, see you there. Love you," she said before closing her phone.

She looked up at everyone. "I gotta go meet Gin for lunch. How's seven sound for later?"

Rukia began to open her mouth in protest, but Ichigo cut in with a smile, "Seven's great." The raven haired woman glared at the man.

Rangiku began to walk out of the room towards the front door. She then stopped and turned around, "I almost forgot! Is it alright if I bring Gin along tonight?"

Rukia clenched her jaw. She wanted to spit out a 'hell no!' but the hopeful look in her friend's eyes stopped her. For some reason, she would feel bad if she denied her this. "Sure," Rukia said unenthusiastically. "Why not?" she added in the same tone.

Rangiku frowned, "Try to be excited about this. You deserve to have fun. I'll see you later," she said turning and exiting.

The raven haired woman frowned at her friend's retreating back. She thought that her unenthused attitude was due to the party. Being accompanied by Gin Ichimaru didn't even cross her mind as being the reason.

They heard the door slam and Momo turned to look at Rukia. "I'm surprised you said 'yes'."

Rukia rubbed her temple with closed eyes, "So am I."

"I'm glad you did," Ichigo said easily as he stretched. The two girls looked at him with an incredulous look.

Rukia was the one to speak though. "Why are you _glad_?"

"It means a lot to her. It's good to know you care how she feels," he explained.

"And it's _not_ good to care about her well-being?" Rukia asked disbelievingly.

Ichigo sighed, realizing this was getting into a complicated conversation. "No, I didn't say that. I think we all are pretty much on our toes for anything bad to happen."

Momo interrupted. "Rangiku told me she found out that Gin had been in bar two nights ago. She said he didn't come back drunk, but his breath smelt like alcohol. He even admitted to having a drink."

Rukia's nostrils flared as her eyes remained wide. She looked at Ichigo as if to say, 'I told you so.'

Momo sighed. "I feel like there's nothing we can do," she said sadly.

The three sat in silence; Ichigo and Rukia absorbing this new information. Finally, Momo stood up. "I should probably get going. Toushirou said he's going to take me somewhere. It's supposed to be a surprise," she said trying to sound excited, but having trouble from their previous conversation. She let out an uneasy laugh. "So I'll see you later, kay?"

Rukia nodded silently without looking at anyone or anything in particular as Ichigo watched Rukia carefully. He could tell she was deep in thought. He knew they were going to be in deep conversation once Momo shut the door behind her.

Momo frowned at the atmosphere she was about to leave and then turned around and left.

The two sat in silence for another minute before Rukia stood up and began to walk out of the room towards the kitchen. Ichigo immediately stood up as he watched her retreating back. He began to walk after her, "Rukia."

She stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around immediately. She turned finally. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I feel like I'm just watching her walk down a dark alley and that she might never come out."

He then took a few steps closer as his head tilted to the side. He listened to her as she talked, "I'm afraid for her, Ichigo. Gin is a bad guy. I don't believe he's changed. Someone can't change that much in a short time; not when he's that bad."

Ichigo had trouble not taking that out of context. _He_ had changed in a short amount of time. Did she count him in that category? It wasn't like he had changed into a completely different person; just that he changed back to who he used to be; back to who she used to love.

He stopped a foot away from her, "I agree with you, but Rangiku is our friend. We can't just tell her to stop seeing a guy that she loves. And who knows? Maybe he loves her back. I mean, even bad guys fall sooner or later." He couldn't help but think that his last sentence came from another part of his mind that wanted to defend himself as well.

She shook her head with furrowed eyebrows. "That's not love. Love wouldn't leave bruises on her skin or give you a trip to the emergency room."

He looked at her with sad eyes. "He was a drunken bastard that used her as a punching bag. We all know. But we should try to give him another chance if she has decided to," again his last sentence meant more.

"Why are you defending him?" Rukia asked incredulously, although she remained calm.

He sighed and then let his facial expression clear. His face was relaxed. "So far he's done nothing but put a smile on Rangiku's face. Why should we hold anything against him? I think a second chance is in order," he added boldly.

"People never change. They always have their original self lurking somewhere deep inside. I truly believe that," she said confidently.

This surprisingly made Ichigo relax even more. He felt that his own case did not need defending after all. He knew she believed he changed back to who he used to be. She wouldn't say that if she didn't speak the truth. But he still wanted her to give Gin a chance; not for Gin himself, but for Rangiku.

_So much beauty in life  
Shining on the outside  
Empty on the inside_

_I get lost sometimes  
Blinded by the flashing lights  
Distractions always in my eyes_

"But maybe he realizes that she doesn't deserve that. Despite what you may think, there is still the possibility that he loves her."

"Or he could be using her," Rukia said coldly.

"Rukia," he whined, thinking she wasn't being considerate.

"What? He could be using her. She'd do anything for him. He could be pulling her along for his own enjoyment," she defended casually. She knew how it felt.

"No one can be _that_ sick in the head," he said in a tone that told her it was a ridiculous thought on her part.

_So I'm following the sound,  
the sound of my heart  
Beating_

"You'd be surprised what people do to other people," she said emotionless. Somehow Ichigo felt he had been pulled back into this conversation after thinking he was freed from any painful memories.

"Where'd you get that from?" he cautiously asked softly with a sincere stare.

"Stories," she said in the same softness. She broke eye contact with him and looked to the side to nothing in particular.

_You can take it all away  
I don't need it  
Underneath, I'll still be the same  
You can take it all away  
I don't need it, it's not me  
You can take it all, take it all away  
I'll still be the same_

Then, he placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb caressing her temple. "How could someone so thoughtful be so easily swayed?" He looked curiously into her wide, shocked eyes as if he could answer the question by staring intently into her.

The fact was that Rukia's head was no longer full of as many thoughts as he had believed. She was only thinking of the way his calloused yet soft, hard hand felt against her skin. His touch burned her skin and she knew that this was definitely a third degree. It paralyzed her body, leaving her motionless and speechless. His eyes mesmerized her into a trance that somehow kept her from feeling any pain that might have been caused by this burn. And his light, comforting touch held her in place; stopping her from fainting to the floor.

_Are you hiding still?  
Don't you want to love yourself?  
Don't you know that someone will?  
Time can turn it around  
Leave it all that's dribbled down  
That's the only way to find it out_

Then, she closed her eyes softly and felt his continuous caress on her temple. "Do you have any idea what that feels like?" she whispered effortlessly through her plump lips.

Ichigo's heart leaped in his chest from her words, but he tried his best to keep cool. Was this simple action of his thrilling her just as much as it did him? Rukia slowly opened her eyes to reveal her serene violets. Before he could reply, she spoke again. "To think that someone's been carrying you the whole time and then to find out that they've been dragging you instead?"

_Are you following the sound,_

_the sound of your heart?  
Beating_

Ichigo's chest no longer leaped for joy. It fell. Deep. And his hand immediately stopped his comforting movement on her temple. He didn't know how it felt. He only knew that he had caused her to feel that way a long time ago. It hurt to hear the tone in her voice that revealed a past hurt. He slowly began to remove his hand from her cheek, but he found he no longer could.

_You can take it all away  
I don't need it  
Underneath, I'll still be the same  
You can take it all away  
I don't need it, it's not me  
You can take it all, take it all away  
I'll still be the same_

She had stopped him and held his hand back against her face gently. He felt her cooler touch on the back of his hand. She always gave that icy chill whenever her skin met his. His eyebrows furrowed from confusion.

"Because I've realized," she paused with her facial expression becoming less serious and more relaxed; an expression of silent gratefulness. "After spending so much time thinking you were dragging me, while you tried to convince me otherwise, I finally realize that you really are carrying me," she finished with her hand now gripping his tighter against her face.

_Coming in with nothing,  
leaving with the same  
It's all inside  
Coming in with nothing, the  
only thing that saves  
Is here inside_

And with the words said aloud, she was finally able to take the burning of his touch without feeling that pain she was afraid of; she could embrace it.

Ichigo's eyes widened for a second, but then his face fell into a slight smile. How simple would it be for him to place his other hand against her other cheek? How easy would it be for him to take a small step forward so that he could feel her breathing against his own skin? What could prevent him from leaning down so that his face was even with hers? What could stop him from causing their noses to brush for a mere moment before a more tantalizing contact would be made?

_You can take it all away  
I don't need it  
Underneath, I'll still be the same  
You can take it all away  
I don't need it, it's not me  
You can take it all, take it all away  
I'll still be the same_

He raised his other hand and placed it on her other cheek without causing her to flinch from his touch. What could stop him?

His heart could. He knew now, although if he really thought about it, he would realize that he knew along that he loved her in the way he feared. Ichigo Kurosaki was _in_ love with her. And that scared him to death. He had already been through that once before and he broke her heart. There was no point in pretending he didn't. It was a fact. He was afraid of what he could further do to her. Would he hurt her again down the road? It was possible; so possible that he would do anything to prevent that possibility, which included doing absolutely nothing about his feelings of the heart.

Then, another thought broke in as her amethyst eyes stared delicately into his. 'She doesn't feel the same,' he thought with a sinking feeling in his gut. 'Why would I jeopardize everything I've worked for only to ruin it?' His stomach churned in a nauseating knot. 'She's with Shuuhei.'

_I'll still be the same_

So there he stood, with her literally in his hands, and he was going to do something so out of character; he wasn't going to go with his instincts. He leaned his forehead against hers, "And I promise," he began before closing his eyes, pained from holding back. "I'll never let you fall," he finished as he felt his heart begin to ache.

_I'll still be the same_

Then, he pulled away. She no longer felt the warmth he supplied and she found herself missing it dearly. What has gotten into her? Why would she miss his _warmth_? 'Get a hold of yourself, Rukia,' she yelled in her head.

She found trouble balancing herself. Her mind was all over the place and his sudden retreat left her a little off. She knew what she expected him to do, but somewhere deep down inside her… she wanted him to go through with whatever it was.

He looked down at his watch and then back up at her. She blinked a few times and finally could think straight. The effect had worn off. He nodded in the direction of the exit behind him. "I should probably get goin'," he said casually.

"Why?" she said quietly with soft eyes. Apparently it hadn't worn off completely.

He gave a crooked smile, "Curious?" He began to walk towards the door and she followed.

She then was taken over by old habit. She rolled her eyes, "I doubt you have anything better to do, that's all." He opened the door and walked down the steps before turning around to look at her at the top of the steps.

He furrowed his eyebrows with a smile, "Oh yeah? What is it that I could be doing here that is _so_ wonderful?"

"I'm here," Rukia said quickly without thinking. Her eyes went wide. 'Did I really just say that out loud?' Her heart began to beat like crazy. 'What the hell was that about, Rukia?!' she yelled in her head. She felt her cheeks begin to blush. 'What is your problem?!' she thought even more. 'Stop it! Stop it right now! Turn around and walk away. You have more important things to do than baby-sit a stupid, over grown carrot!'

His eyes began to bore holes into her. 'The more she speaks the more I'm tempted to slam her up against a wall! Damn it! Stay cool,' he yelled in his head. Before he could reply with a remark that would loosen the tension, she spoke.

"Beat it, you over grown carrot!" she yelled suddenly. Her eyes went wide again and her mouth fell open. Her mouth had a mind of its own apparently because she was having trouble controlling what came out of it today.

Ichigo's eyebrows rose from surprise. "What the hell?!" he yelled in complete confusion. "Alright, I _know_ I didn't do anything wrong." He spoke out loud, although she did not know the complete meaning of his words.

Then, without seeing it coming, Rukia let out a startling yell of frustration. She turned around and took off inside and shut the door behind her. He ran back up the steps and tried to turn the handle, only to find it locked. He slammed his fist against the door twice.

"Rukia? Open the door! What's wrong? What'd I do?!" he yelled through the door.

On the other side of the door, Rukia sat with her back against it. Her knees were bent so that she could wrap her arms around her legs against her chest. "Nothing!" she yelled back, "You didn't do anything. I just forgot I needed to do something! I'll talk to you later, okay?" she said hiding her emotion in her voice.

Ichigo frowned with his forehead now placed against the door. He closed his eyes as he placed his palm against the door's cool surface. He took a deep breath. "Call me if you need me," he said as he began to push away from the entrance.

She smiled and then leaned her forehead against one of her knees. "Bye, Ichigo."

He then dragged his finger tips against the door one last time before turning and walking down the steps.

* * *

"Rukia, you have too much to do. You can't just decide to have playtime when you get stuck. This is what being a grown up is like," Byakuya lectured as he took a sip out of his wineglass.

He stood with his black dress pants and a blue button down long sleeve shirt. Anyone who looked at him would immediately think he was some powerful business man who had more money than they could imagine. And in a sense, he was. The Kuchiki's _did_ have a hell of a lot of money. The only mistake in the common assumption would be that he was more of a government secret agent than a businessman; the type that could kill you with a spoon.

It always surprised Rukia how people would react to her brother in public. Woman would flirt with him on any occasion, but Byakuya being Byakuya, didn't give them the time of day. If there was one thing she admired about her brother, she could safely say that it was his commitment towards things; especially the way he was with Hisana.

Rukia let out a sigh as she stood on the opposite side of the kitchen island as her brother. "I get that completely, Byakuya, but this is my line of work. I _need_ to be around people for the way I do my job. I can't just randomly come up with things. People influence me. This technically is part of my job," she explained in an understanding way. She couldn't believe she was actually trying to get him to approve of something she didn't even want to do.

_Why_ did she care so much whether or not he approved? She was old enough to make her own decisions, right? Wrong. Rukia Kuchiki _could_ make her own decisions, yes. But Byakuya's opinion meant a great deal to her. He was her only family now. Without him, there would be no one left to judge her for her actions. Since he was the only one, she desperately wanted his approval. She wanted him to be proud of her for everything she did.

Byakuya looked into her pleading eyes. "I will not tell you that you can't do this. This is your decision. I trust that whatever you choose will be in your best interest and I'll support you either way," he said taking another sip.

Rukia smiled at him. That's all she wanted to hear. She began to walk away before he spoke again, which caused her to stop in her track.

"Is Kurosaki going to be here?" he asked tilting the glass so that the liquid in side swayed delicately.

She sighed and then turned around to face him, "Yes."

He nodded slowly as he thought. "You know what I think of him, right?"

Her eyes settled on Byakuya's and she stood up straighter. She was confident now. Much more than before. "Yes."

"And you still intend on wasting your time with him?" he asked with no displeasure in his voice, though she knew that's how he felt.

"Of course," she said as a smile began to grow on her face.

He cocked an eyebrow. "What's so amusing?"

She shook her head with a chuckle, "Nothing really. I just remember having this conversation many years ago back in Karakura Town. Its funny how life brings you in circles."

Then, to her surprise, Byakuya's mouth twitched to what she believed had the potential of being a genuine smile. Rukia smiled towards him and then began to walk away again before she stopped herself. "Are you going to be around for later?"

He shook his head, "I'll be going out to see a play this evening. Urahara, Yoruichi and Isshin are meeting me there."

She smiled, "The old gang's getting' back together, huh?"

He let out a chuckle without giving away any emotion on his face. "I guess you could say that."

"Well have fun," she said as she walked away again.

"You too," he said staring at his sister's retreat with soft eyes.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So next chapter will be there get together. I felt like it would be too long if I added all that in here and plus it gets it out faster this way. Later


	15. Better Now

**A/N:** Alright, so I didn't get a chance to reply to reviews last time. Sorry about that. I'll just say a real quick thank you to all of you. THANKS! I'll reply to you this time around – promise. So here's the next chapter, named after "Better Now," by Rascal Flatts. God I love their songs, except when they sound really hick-like. Eh. So I'll end up using probably one or two more songs of theirs. Anyways! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I know, I know.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 15: Better Now_

She lay on her bed with her arms stretched out to her sides and her legs spread out as she stared up at the ceiling with a blank stare. She tried to balance her laptop on her stomach as she breathed in and out. 'Still nothing,' she thought in annoyance with a sigh. After her conversation with her brother in the kitchen, she found herself in this position. Being the way she was, she refused to think she needed this _get together_ in order to do what she was passionate for. 'I can handle this on my own,' she told herself. 'I can do this.'

Two, maybe three hours later, she found herself lying there with an empty word document shining onto her face. She didn't need any inspiration. But how much had she gotten done in the past week? She was in need of help whether she admitted it or not. The raven haired woman exhaled in aggravation.

"Whoever said people look best by candlelight obviously haven't tried a computer light before," a voice came from the opposite side of her room. She jumped slightly from surprise and then shut the lid of her laptop slightly. Rukia squinted from the light in order to see into her pitch black room.

She saw an image of a man leaning against the wall of her bedroom, his arms crossed over his chest and a possible smile on his face. Her eyes began to adjust more and they only revealed what she should have already known. "You think you can just come in my room whenever the hell you want, Kurosaki?" she said with a flustered attitude as she tried to get rid of the flush on her face.

Rukia then turned her laptop around so that the light shined on Ichigo. He flinched, turned his head away and put his hand up to shield the light. "Jesus, blind me why don't ya!"

"That was my plan," Rukia said bitterly with a glare in the dark room that he could only predict she was giving. "You're early," Rukia stated simply as she sat her computer on the bed so that the light wouldn't bother either of them.

"I told you I was gonna to be," he said leaning back against the wall casually.

"I thought you were joking," she said not looking at him as she began to get up off of her bed and walk around her room as she threw random pieces of clothing into a pile on a chair.

"You think I'm joking when I talk about pissing off ole Byakuya? Geez, Rukia, I thought you knew me," he said with an amused tone.

"He's not even here. He left to hang out with your father and them tonight," she said as she continued to move around in an agitated manner.

"Wrong again. I passed him through the front door," he corrected. "I got the glare I was aiming for. Gave him my signature grin too," he added with a smirk.

"Why are you such an ass?" she asked with an exasperated huff as she examined a shirt and then threw it in the same pile.

Ichigo shrugged, "You like me this way."

Rukia froze in the middle of her movement and then turned to look at Ichigo as if he had three heads. "Feeling a little bold today, huh?" she asked incredulously.

"What? It's true," he defended.

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, it's true that I like you randomly showing up in my room and scaring the hell out of me. It's true I like having you call me 'midget'. Or how about liking you piss off my brother? Oh yeah, I _love that_." She began to go through the pile of clothes again.

He smirked, "Oh, I know you do."

She turned her head back slightly to show her glare and then turned back to the clothes she was riffling through. "Why are you so damn cocky today?"

He raised an eyebrow from the remark. His easy going attitude was beginning to crumble. He furrowed his eyebrows with his arms still crossed over his chest. "Why are _you_ so pissed off today?"

Rukia exhaled loudly as she stood up straight and turned to look at Ichigo. "I'm not pissed," she said in a tired tone.

"Bullshit! You've been throwing bitchy remarks at me since I showed up!" he defended.

"Well maybe it's because _you_ showed up!" she yelled back.

He rolled his eyes as he began to walk out of the room. "I'm not arguing with you over this," he said calmly with his back facing her as he walked away.

Her mouth fell open. 'Was he seriously being mature about this?' she thought in complete astonishment. "Who the hell are you and what have you done with my Ichigo?" she said with shock still on her face, but her tone more amused.

He stopped in mid-step and turned to look at her. She couldn't breathe from his piercing stare. Her lungs had failed to work as her brain processed his appearance in front of her. He stood with his body slightly turned back to her. His faded jeans fit in all the right places and his aqua t-shirt revealed the toned muscles underneath the thin cloth. His amber eyes seemed so inhuman at that moment; not in a frightening way, but instead in a godlike way; like he was looking upon her and seeing all her truths.

He didn't know what to say, so he just tried to figure out what she meant by her words. _'My Ichigo.'_ It sounded so good in his ears to hear her say those words. And by the way he looked into her clueless, violet eyes, he knew that she didn't realize the significance of her words. What she did happen to realize was the impact it had on the receiving end of her question.

"What?" he said in a whisper.

His voice was soft and questioning. She didn't know how to approach this. So because of her confusion and fear, she did what she first thought of doing. "You're not mature enough to walk away from a fight!" It came out a bit too loud.

Then, Rukia saw something she would have never expected. His piercing eyes softened. They now possessed the caring gaze of what she would have only imagined to belong to an angel. The corners of his lips twitched up into what she thought could have quite possible grown into a smile. "Maybe I was wrong," he said with the same whisper.

Her throat began to close off. What was happening? She tried to swallow as her eyes stared wide.

Ichigo turned around completely and put his hands in his pockets. His head tilted slightly to its side as he let that smile grow on his lips. "You do know me."

Rukia didn't know how to proceed with the situation. This wasn't the Ichigo she knew. He would have fought her like so many other times they had fought in the past. He would still be fighting her at that moment. But he chose to walk away without a second come back. Who was he?

That's exactly what she wanted to find out. "Who are you?" she asked in a whisper with a curious stare.

He squinted in confusion. He didn't know how to respond.

"There are moments when I feel like we're sixteen again and we're arguing like we live for it," she began in a tone where he could tell she was trying to understand. "But then you have these moments when you surprise me."

"Surprise you?" he questioned.

She took a deep breath. "Yeah," she agreed. "You leave me… speechless," she said the last word with amusement and a chuckle.

Ichigo couldn't help but let a smirk take over his facial expression. Shivers ran up his spine. He loved hearing her saying that. He tried to calm himself down, but he couldn't help it. She was saying all the things he wanted her to say; only she didn't see it in the same way as he did. He admitted it wasn't healthy for him to harp on this, but how could he not? He was in love with her. How could he forget her claim him as her own and tell him that he leaves her speechless?

Rukia rolled her eyes while her smile remained on her face. "I just boosted your ego way too much."

He smirked, "Now how couldn't you have seen that one coming?"

"I _really_ don't know," she said with a chuckle and finally breaking the eye contact. She went back to the pile of clothes.

"What are you looking for?" he asked finally.

"Nothing. Just a piece of clothing," she said firmly as she continued to look through the pile in the dim lit room.

Ichigo looked around the room on the floor for anymore garments. "Where the hell is it?" she mumbled to herself as Ichigo's eyes landed on something on the floor.

His cheeks heated up a bit and then he began to smile. He cleared his throat in an effort to get her attention, but she didn't seem to notice. He put more emphasis on his cough, but she wasn't getting the hint. He took a step towards the piece of clothing and tried to kick it towards her, but it wasn't moving easily on the rug. As he continued to try to kick it towards her, he spoke her name in a mumble to get her attention, "Rukia."

She continued to huff as she stopped and scratch her head in wonder. "Rukia," he mumbled again, this time getting her attention. Timing was terrible because once she turned to look at him, his foot caught the lavender panties and kicked them into the air as they landed on her head.

Rukia's eyes grew wide. She reached up after a second of shock and pulled down the underwear into her hand and then her face immediately heated up. "Ichigo!" she yelled as she threw it deep into the pile of clothes on the chair.

"What?!" he yelled in confusion. He just helped her out and this is how she repays him?

"I can't believe you just did that!" she yelled back with her face flushed.

He frowned, "I helped you find what you were looking for! What are you getting so bitchy for?!"

"I was looking for them because I didn't want you to see them lying on my floor somewhere!" she yelled back. She was quite embarrassed.

Ichigo opened his mouth to yell back, but then he closed his mouth. Then, a smile grew on his face. He then began to laugh. This only pissed the female Kuchiki off more.

"What the hell is so god damn funny?!"

He continued to laugh until he finally was able to speak. "You're such a prude!" he said before he continued to laugh at her _still_ very red face.

"I'm the prude?" she asked incredulously. Her confidence was coming back. "I was the one to make the first moves!"

He rolled his eyes, "You were completely red when you did."

"And you were completely frozen. You didn't even know how to react!

He shook his head, "Whatever. The point is you shouldn't be trying you're hardest to keep me from seeing you're very scandalous looking lingerie. I mean it's not like I haven't seen you before…"

Her face heated up again. She let out a yell, "Uh! I cannot believe you just said that!"

His eyebrows furrowed as a smile was very clear on his face. "What? It's not a secret between us. I think it's pretty clear that we've ha-"

"No!" Rukia yelled as her pointer finger pressed against Ichigo's lips. "No, no, no," she added once she thought it was safe. "Let's not say it out loud. It'll be less awkward if you go along with me and pretend we never took part in… activities like that."

He began to laugh. "You can't even say what it is. Besides, I don't see what's so awkward about it," he shrugged as her hand fell from his lips to her side. He looked at her curiously with a serious face. "I can accept that you were my first and only one for a while. Why can't you?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but she stopped. Why couldn't she? It was a fact. But something else was holding her back from admitting it.

"Talking about this is stupid. I have a boyfriend. He'd probably beat the crap out of you for talking about me in that way," she said to avoid the question.

He let a chuckle escape his mouth as he looked away from her, "Beat the crap out of me for having you first?" he said with a sly look as his eyes met hers again.

She frowned and opened her mouth in a shocking way. "I don't even know how to respond to that! _I _should punch you in the face for that!"

Ichigo's eyes went wide. "What? You totally loved me first!" he said in a defensive, yet very childish way. He didn't really realize how immature that sounded until it came out.

Rukia's mouth opened slightly in understanding and then closed. "Oh," she said softly. "I thought you were being…"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at her. "I wasn't talking about you like _that_."

Rukia smiled apologetically. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

Ichigo looked away and began to rub his neck, "Ugh," he let out. "Now you made it awkward. I was completely fine with it before."

Rukia raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "I definitely saw a blush on your cheeks before I realized my underwear was on my head."

Ichigo began to smile, "It's amazing how you can say that with a straight face."

Rukia pushed his chest and rolled her eyes, "Shut up." She started to walk towards her computer again. She sighed as she began to close the laptop for the night.

"What's up with you anyway? You never answered me seriously before," Ichigo asked curiously as he stood with his hands still in his pockets.

She looked up at him and saw just how much he seemed to care. "I haven't been able to write for about a week and my editor is hounding me. I need to be shooting these chapters out like bunnies have babies," she said with a sigh.

Ichigo laughed, "Figures you'd compare it to bunnies…"

"Shut up," she said quickly. She continued, "This has to be in stores by fall. That's supposedly what my contract says." She let out a groan as she began to rub her temples.

He smiled at her sincerely. "Don't kill yourself over it. You'll be fine."

She continued to rub her temples. "You don't know that," she moaned.

"You always pull through. Now stop moping around and do something about it," he commanded more than suggested.

"And how the hell do I do that?" she asked with a slight attitude.

He walked over to the door and held his hand out motioning her to go through the door. "It's inspiration time."

* * *

"I can't believe it! Did you even see it coming?!" Rukia asked with excitement as Rangiku, Tatsuki and Orihime gushed beside her.

"No. Not at all, actually," Momo giggled as Orihime held Momo's hand in hers.

"This ring is beautiful!" Orihime said with awe.

Rangiku crossed her arms over her chest, "I can't believe the twerp actually got the nerve to propose. I thought he'd never do it," she said with a smirk.

Momo's smile beamed as much as the rock on her finger did. Toushirou _was_ wealthy after all…

"Do you have any idea when you want it to happen?" Rukia asked with excitement.

"Well, Toushirou didn't really want to wait that long. He said we've been dating long enough so we might as well just make it soon," she explained as her eyes remained on the glittering diamonds. "So I suggested August."

"It's already June!" Orihime exclaimed.

Momo continued to smile. She nodded, "I know."

Tatsuki smiled at her. "Congratulations. You guys are perfect for each other."

"Thank you," Momo said before their little circle went into a comfortable silence. Then, the four girls threw themselves onto the engaged young woman and went into a squealing group hug.

From a distance, the men looked on with a smirk. "So you finally became a man, huh?" Renji asked taking a drink and then spitting it out. "What the hell is this shit?!"

Ichigo shook his head. "I guess you never heard of that kind before. It's called Root."

Renji looked at him like he was an idiot, "What the fuck is Root?"

Ichigo's eyes showed amusement as his face remained nonchalant, "It's the kind of beer you should be drinking…"

Chad added caringly in his deep voice, "Yeah, you have been having a lot lately. It's bad for your health."

Toushirou smirked from his remark. Renji saw this and glared, "What the hell's so funny, _little boy_?"

Toushirou rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back into the wall. "When you have a promising career, a promising relationship and a promising liver, _then_ you can _attempt_ to prove that you're better than me."

Ishida chuckled, "Burn."

"Third degree," Ichigo chimed in.

Renji growled and mumbled something that sounded close to "little son of a bitch."

"Speaking of bad livers…" Toushirou added casually as the man walked up with his usual nauseating grin.

"Hey Gin. What's goin' on?" Renji said in diminutive interest.

"Nothing really. It's been a long week, but what can you do about?" he said, sounding so carefree.

Renji gave a nod. Ishida continued, trying to make the tension as small as possible. "How's the architecture business? Heard you're putting in a big plot over by North Avenue."

He continued to grin. "Ah, yeah. Should bring in a lot of profit. Don't know why I didn't think of it before. I just finished the plans for it. Construction should start soon."

"Really?" Chad piped in. "I've been looking for a new place. How long until they're finished?"

Gin just shrugged, "No idea. Depends on how many we can get to work. Complicated stuff finding people to actually do their job," he said with a chuckle. Toushirou remained in his leaning position with his eyes closed. He refused to acknowledge this man.

"I know what you mean. Ichigo hasn't played a song in a few weeks. I'm surprised his manager hasn't lost his mind," Ishida said with a smirk.

Renji raised an eyebrow, "Have you met Urahara?"

This caused the small group to laugh; all except one.

"Ichigo? You okay? You didn't add another insult after I cracked on Urahara," Renji said in his own manly concern.

The orange haired man continued to stare off in another direction. His eyes were completely focused on something else and the corners of his lips twitched upwards.

"Ichigo?" Chad asked as the men looked to see what he was staring at. Across the room they saw the girls. Toushirou opened his eyes as the curiosity finally got to him.

Momo and Orihime both blushed furiously at something. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow; not seeming to see the reason for the conversation. Rangiku flailed her limbs around in an attempt to describe something, in which she was in deep concentration for. Rukia was left laughing very hard, although a slight blush was seen on her cheeks as well, but she seemed to find it all amusing.

For Ichigo, it all seemed to be in slow-motion as well as the world going incredibly silent. He didn't know what Rangiku was saying, but he wished she didn't stop. The way Rukia was laughing; the no worries aura coming off her eased his soul. He wanted so badly to be a part of that moment, yet he would gladly sit back and watch her smile like that for days.

"Easy there, Tiger," Ishida began with a smile, "You might burn holes into her with those laser eyes."

Ichigo broke his gaze and saw the guys staring at him. He then registered what the spectacle wearing man said. "Screw you, Comic Book boy."

"Is that supposed to offend me?" Ishida asked with attitude. "You still have my Superman collection, dipshit."

"Get over yourself, ass wipe," Ichigo threw back.

"Can someone tell me why we're divided like a damn middle school dance?" Rukia said walking over to the guys as the girls continued to talk in the distance.

Ichigo looked at her with surprise from her interruption. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping on the floor from impatience. "You supported this thing. The least you could do is get everybody together so maybe it can work a little on my non-working brain."

He raised an eyebrow, "Well maybe you could put some music on so we don't stand around with an awkward silence all around us."

"Why on earth would I do that?" she asked.

"Have you ever thrown some sort of party before?" he asked incredulously. Before she could respond he answered for her, "Nevermind. You haven't."

She huffed. "That's not my fault. I don't do this kind of thing. I show up when I'm supposed to. I don't plan!"

He rolled his eyes. "You suck… a lot."

"Screw you, Kurosaki," she glared.

"Hey! Kurosaki! What kinda mood you in?" Rangiku grinned.

Ichigo looked hesitantly. "Not the streaking kind…"

"I only did that once! Besides, I noticed you've done that recently yourself," she said with a wink.

Ichigo immediately turned his head and glared at Renji, who began to laugh as he put his hands up beside his head to show fake innocence.

"How about a little karaoke?" she asked with an amused tone as she strutted towards the piano.

"Are you serious?" Ichigo asked with a smile coming to his lips. Then he felt a little push on his back forcing him forward a step. He looked back at the one who pushed him.

"Guess I'm lucky to have you here, huh? Who needs music when I got you?" Rukia said with a grin like she planned this all along.

'Those are _not_ the right words for me to hear come out of her mouth,' he thought in agony. He knew his mind would run wild with the possibility of her meaning more than what she actually said. His heart jumped for joy, while his fist clenched by his side; ready to punch that idiotic organ in his chest.

He looked at the piano again and then at Rukia. "No one has probably ever played the damn thing. I doubt it's even tuned. What's the point of you even having it?"

She raised an eyebrow and smirked, "Shows how much you know. I took lessons like two years ago," she estimated.

He looked at her with disbelief, "For how long?"

"Like four months," she estimated again.

"Like how far did you get?" he mocked her.

"I hate you," she said hearing his mockery.

He began to smile, "Answer the question."

"No," she said stubbornly as she turned her head to look away.

The rest of the group just looked on, both baffled yet entertained by the exchange.

"Tell me or I'll yell right now what I told Kaien about you and a pool's filter…"

Her eyes went wide and she turned to look at him as she practically yelled the answer, "My fingers were too short!"

Ichigo laughed at her urgency to stop him from proceeding, but then her answer sunk in and he laughed more. He was almost falling down laughing now.

She frowned and put her hands on her hip, while a few of the men smirked, but refused to get the raven haired woman's rage directed at them. The other women knew Ichigo was dead.

"What the hell is so funny, Ichigo Kurosaki?" she yelled almost in a reprimanding manner.

He continued to laugh. In between gasps of breath he tried to get words out, "Noth- Nothing. You're- You're just," he let out a loud laugh, "You're such a midget!"

Rukia glared at him. Then, she found her resolve. "Ichigo slept with a stuffed lion until he was thirteen," she said with her glare still penetrating through Ichigo.

Then, the room fell silent. Ichigo heard the words and felt like the world no longer held humor in it. Then, the guys began to laugh extremely hard. Too hard, in his opinion. He peeked over to see how the girls were taking it. Tatsuki laughed like the guys on the other side of the room, while the rest held their hand over their mouth to hide the laughter.

His eyes met Rukia's. She now had a malevolent smile on her face. She was clearly pleased with the result.

Ichigo stared back into her eyes, "Rukia lost her swimsuit top in a pool and had to beg me for my shirt. That was only after two younger boys saw her and our English teacher."

The room took the new news well as it blended with the previous. Rukia's gaze burned into Ichigo as he felt successful.

"Alright, alright. Enough, you two. Settle down," Tatsuki said after catching her breath. "Don't get your panties in a bundle," she said.

"Or your swimsuit top…" Renji added with a laugh causing the rest to start laughing. Rukia shot a glare at Renji and was about to charge over there when she felt Tatsuki's hands on her shoulder's from behind. Rukia looked back at the orange haired man with a glare.

"Come on, Carrot top. Let's do this!" Rangiku said with excitement as she pulled on Ichigo's forearm . He sent a final glare at the petit raven haired woman and then walked over and took his seat at the luxurious unused piano.

* * *

"Alright after that, I definitely need a break," Ichigo said with a chuckle.

"Pure skill, right there," Renji commented on his turn. The redhead had just sung his own version of Titanic's "My Heart Will Go On." Celine Dion would be wishing she had never sung that song right about now. Sadly, he thought he saw Tatsuki swooning over him.

Everyone began to get into conversation. Ichigo didn't stand up, but instead just turned so that he was sitting on the piano bench from the side. Rukia came walking up. He began to smile, "You haven't done anything yet…"

She raised an eyebrow as a smile came to play on her lips. "Are you serious? Since when do _I_ embarrass myself on purpose?" He began to shake his head, but she continued. "Besides, why would I join in song with someone who betrayed me?"

Ichigo couldn't help but flinch at the words. He took them much deeper than they were meant to be. He was taking everything the wrong way lately… He gave her a confused look.

"Have you seriously forgotten already? You just threw out one of my most embarrassing moments ever!" she said incredulously. Strangely, she no longer seemed mad, but instead in disbelief by his forgetfulness.

His eyes went wide, and his emotions relaxed. He laughed at himself in his head. 'Always thinking the worst,' he told himself. "You told them about Kon," he said through his teeth in more of a whisper as to not strike up another fit of hysteria throughout the room.

"And you laughed at my lack of height," she said with a pout as her arms crossed over her chest and her head turned to the side.

He couldn't help but smile. She always had the ability to turn into a child and she always had the ability to take him back to the days where they'd been inseparable. 'She looks adorable,' he thought and then mentally slapped himself. He sighed, "I know. Sorry. I might have gotten _a little_ out of hand there."

She looked back at him and then smiled at his attempt at an apology. He always sucked at them. "Whatever, Strawberry. What's done is done."

He gave a single nod, knowing that their little dispute was over. "So tell me, what song would you like to sing?" he said with a grin growing across his face.

She rolled her eyes and then took a step towards the piano. She turned around and leaned her back against the instrument; her elbows resting behind her on the piano. "I'll tell you what. If you can write the rest of my book for me, then I'll sing a song," she said sarcastically.

"Deal," he said turning towards the piano keys. Rukia let out a hearty laugh, "Hah! Dream on, Kurosaki."

"What? Tell me what it's about and I'll finish it for you," he pushed. She noted that he looked almost serious.

Rukia found herself not knowing what to say. She stuttered to get words out and he watched curiously. Then, she spoke. "It's complicated."

He began to chuckle, "Complicated, how?"

"I -," she cut herself off. She took a breath. "I haven't told anyone what it's about."

Both of his eyebrows rose. "No one?" She shook her head in agreement. He blinked a few times, "Then I guess we're all in for a big surprise, huh?" he began to smile sweetly.

She smiled at him sadly and gave a single nod; not knowing how to reply. He noticed the sadness in her smile though and something inside him began to hurt. "Rukia, what's wrong-" he began but was interrupted.

"Where's my girl?" a voice came from the room entrance. Everyone turned and saw the man with a huge smile on his face. Rukia's eyes went wide and she grinned. "Shuuhei!" she yelled as she pushed herself off the piano and ran for the said man.

Ichigo began to feel like it was hard to breathe. He watched as she threw her arms around his neck and he picked her up and swung her around; Shuuhei's head in the crook of her neck. Then Rukia leaned back in his arms and placed her lips on his.

That did it for Ichigo. He turned his head and looked away. It was surprising how much that hurt him. 'What did you think? That she was going to fall into your arms, while she was obviously in love with her boyfriend? God, you're such an idiot, Ichigo,' he yelled at himself in his head.

Shuuhei placed her back on the floor. "Hey, come with me for a second. I have something for you," he said grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room.

She was startled by this, "O-okay. Be right back!" she yelled to her guests and then disappeared.

Conversation struck up again, but Ichigo paid no attention to it. Instead, his fingers took their place on the piano and played a soft melody. His mind continued to think as he poured his heart into the instrument in front of him.

What could he really do about this? She was taken. For some reason for the past few weeks he had a hard time taking that in. He couldn't picture anyone else in his little world beside himself and Rukia. And now that he thought about it, he didn't realize just how much he wanted to be with her. He knew he had begun to love her again, but he didn't realize how much it had grown. He didn't realize how much it would affect him to see her in another man's arms; to see her lips against someone else's.

His heart clenched at the thought of seeing that display of affection again. His eyes closed as his fingers continued to move with force yet grace. It was only a short time ago that he was ready to have Senna meet his family; that he was ready to go across the world with her for months at a time. How did he find himself back at the beginning? Back to the same person he let go those few years ago? His memory brought him back to that night.

_Her hands began to shake as the crossroads in her life was about to come. She reached her arm across her body and grabbed her wrist to steady herself. "I'm going to take the first bus out of here tomorrow morning… but I'm not going unless you tell me to," she stared deep into his eyes and she thought she saw the slightest bit of emotion._

_**If I had one call to make  
I would dial yesterday and warn myself  
Tell my lips the words to say  
Not let you just walk away  
With someone else  
With someone else**_

_The beginning of her statement made his chest collapse, but the part that shook him up the most was the latter part. 'She's asking me to choose for her. If I tell her to stay, she'll most likely stay with me, no matter how miserable it may make her. I… don't want her to leave…' _

_He let out a deep breath slowly and closed his eyes for a few moments. He let it all soak in and took a large swallow. He opened his eyes and turned his head away from her. The word seemed to refuse to leave his throat, but when it did, it was practically a whisper. "Go." It felt as if he had just stabbed himself in what was left of his beating heart. _

_**Next time, I wont suffer this kind of pain  
Own my mistakes  
Not just pass off all the blame  
If you were here, we could figure this out  
Then I wouldn't be bitter  
I'd just be better now.**_

'_What am I going to do without you?' he thought as her mouth hung slightly open and her chest rose up and down. She stared at his face that refused to look at her._

_She gave a slow nod in understanding and wiped a tear that strode down her cheek quickly before he could turn to see her, but he secretly did. _

_She turned towards the window and stopped before continuing. She looked behind her, over her shoulder at him, who still refused to look at her retreating form. She spoke sweetly; so sweet that once he heard her, he let her words echo throughout his entire body. "I love you."_

_**To be the strong and silent one  
A lot of good that has done  
Yes, you'd agree  
No more tryin' to understand  
Or fix these things because you can  
Guess it's up to me  
Yeah, it's up to me**_

_He heard her exit and without even looking at the window, he returned the favor. "I'll never stop."_

_He lied there for hours. His mind never letting go of the beautiful sound of her last three words in his presence. His eyes couldn't forget her beauty in the moonlight and his empty, pathetic excuse for a heart began to feel something; the first thing in a long time. It ached. And it only got worse. His fists began to clench and his eyes met the sun coming up over the horizon. Then, his eyes found their way to the clock on his bedside table. He looked away quickly in disapproval, but then; he turned his head slowly back to the time._

_**Next time, I won't suffer this kind of pain  
Own my mistakes  
Not just pass off all the blame  
If you were here, we could figure this out  
Then I wouldn't be bitter  
I'd just be better now.**_

_The pain was only getting worse and he knew what it was from. Time was a precious thing and he knew that if he had any regrets from his decision he should act soon otherwise he would be left to live with this ache in his chest._

_Finally, he sat up. He stood up from his bed for the first time in days and he ran; through his bedroom door, down the stairs, out the front door and kept going. The sidewalk was wet from last night's dew and he could smell the humid air slamming into him as he ran._

_**I'd be much better off  
Much better off, maybe  
If I could just let it go  
With no regrets then**_

'_Around the first corner and only two more to go,' he listed in his mind, not paying any attention to his heavy breathing. Then came the second corner and sooner than he thought came the third. He then stopped dead in his tracks. _

_**Next time, I won't suffer this kind of pain  
Own my mistakes  
Not just pass off all the blame  
You'd still be here, and we'd figure this out  
Then I wouldn't be better (I wouldn't be better)**_

_The bus was there and she held a bag firmly in her hand as she took a step onto it and then disappeared inside. He knew he could have yelled; he knew he could bang his fists on the side of the vehicle until she saw him, but time __**was**__ a precious thing. He had come when she was already halfway through the door; she was already on her way out of his world. He chose to let her go and then he raced time to take it back. But he had to accept it. He was too late. He couldn't take it back. _

_He wanted her to have a better life and these last few minutes were his selfish instinct to hold on to something he would only destroy. So he took a step back behind the corner and rested his back against the cold, brick wall, not knowing that the girl that was his entire world stared out the window at the corner half a second after he slipped away._

_**Oh, no I wouldn't be bitter  
I'd just be better now.**_

His fingers hit the last few keys of the first song he had played in almost a month; a song with no words, just feeling; his feeling. His head was bowed towards the keys and his eyes were closed tightly as he tried to lock the memory away. He prayed to be in that old room of his at the moment. He wanted to lie there on his bed in the dark with nothing but the moon staring back at him. He wanted to lose himself in the darkness and bury himself in the silence. All he wanted was to be alone.

"That was beautiful," a kind voice broke through beside him. His eyes snapped open and he noticed that everyone had stopped and listened to his heart's melody. The kind voice spoke again. "I don't think we've ever heard that before," Orihime said.

He looked back at his fingers that were still resting lightly on the keys, "You wouldn't have." He began to stand up, still not looking at his audience. "I just came up with it." He moved out from under the piano, "Excuse me." He walked his way towards the room's exit and stopped before he walked out. He looked over his shoulder, "Tell Rukia I had to go."

"Why are you leaving?" a curious yet sad voice came from in front of him. He almost jumped, but his eyes settled into pools of violet.

It took him a few seconds to reply, but then he noticed something on her neck. It was a necklace with an amethyst butterfly on it. The chain seemed different.

"That… necklace…" he pushed out of his mouth as his eyes continued to stare at the beautiful charm. His hand itched to raise and touch the small symbol of the past.

Shuuhei's voice came from behind. "Isn't it beautiful? I've always loved it. Told her it matched her eyes beautifully. The chain was too flimsy though, so I got her a new one. Been told that nothin' would snap it in two," he said with cheerfulness.

Ichigo took in his words and clenched his hand into a fist. "Yeah, you're right," he agreed with his eyes on the butterfly. He then raised his ambers to meet her wide violets. "Completely beautiful."

Rukia opened her mouth to speak, but she honestly had no idea what she would say.

"I'll see you later," Ichigo said and then looked up to the man behind her. "Shuuhei," he said with a nod as a way of saying farewell. He turned down the hallway towards the exit and Rukia watched, still speechless.

_**No, I wouldn't be bitter  
I'd just be better now…**_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

Any questions? Well I'm wrecked. These last two months have killed me. But guess what? I'm not as busy anymore and do you know what that means? I'm going to have more time to write! Seriously, I love the summer. I can get so much done because I have so much more time with things. I love it. So I'm going to say that this will be updated very soon and I'm even going to try and get back into These Days (for those of you that hate me for my lack of updating. But don't think it will be in the next few days. I'll have to go back and read it all because I won't know anything that I've written. Sad, I know. But I'm being honest.) Okay. So please review. Later


	16. You and I Both

**A/N:** Next chapter! Fast update! Yes! Alright. So this is named after "You and I Both," by Jason Mraz. Beautiful upbeat song. Warning – in order to get this out by tonight I did a very bad job with grammatical mistakes and sentence structure. Don't judge too harshly. Well I'm only guessing because I didn't proof read it. Forgive me. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Uh-uh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 16: You and I Both_

"So Rukia, tell me something. Why is it that you moved from your hometown of Karakura to this celebrity filled city? I mean, we've seen that you like your privacy. You could have been just as successful being a writer there as you are here," Orihime asked taking a glimpse at her note cards.

Rukia smiled at her friend. She could tell she was taking this seriously considering she already knew most of these answers. She was doing what everyone in front of a camera does: pleases the public. Orihime had reminded her before the show that these weren't her questions and that if any of them hit her the wrong way, she apologized beforehand.

"You're right, I do love my privacy," Rukia agreed politely. "And I absolutely love Karakura Town, as I'm sure you do too," she said with a wink. "But it's such a small town. I wanted to get out there and see something different. Experience is great inspiration by the way."

"But you wouldn't have had to deal with any of those paparazzi or reporters with all those annoying questions," she said with a sad smile as she mocked herself.

"I happen to love one of those reporters with all those annoying questions," she argued playfully. She then smiled, "It's gotten a little too rough for me now and then, but I've learned to accept the hype. I mean, I've been taught to not shy away from all the pictures and questions. Who would have thought a writer would have so many people looking up to them? Why not be an influence for people to do what you love and not what everyone else is doing?" she said with another wink to her best friend.

Orihime nodded. "So how about we talk about that trial of yours that took place a couple months ago?"

Rukia sighed and threw a hand to cover her face. She looked at her friend between her fingers. "That wasn't the high point of my life…"

Orihime chuckled. Rukia then spoke again. "I was angry. And yes, I did punch that reporter in the face. He was being rude and saying untrue things. I probably shouldn't have hit him, but…" she shrugged. "It felt good," she said with a sad smile.

The strawberry blonde woman hesitated before speaking and then asked the next question with apologizing eyes. "What was he saying that made you so angry?"

The raven haired woman's eyes grew slightly wide. She blinked a few times and then exhaled with a sly smile. "We're hitting the hard questions today, huh?"

Orihime smiled, "It's rare to get the opportunity to get you to talk. You might as well get it all out there so you can get it over with."

Rukia let out another breath and nodded. "That was during the time when the rumors of Ichigo Kurosaki and I being a couple were all over the place. I mean, they still exist now when I'm in the middle of a great relationship, but this was when it was literally every other thing someone said to me."

Orihime nodded as Rukia continued. "As I'm sure many remember from your interview with that orange headed buffoon, I've known him since we were kids. And yes, we were high school sweethearts. Well, I really don't think we could ever be called "sweethearts." We were never the lovey dovey kind of people. I'd call him a moron; he'd call me a midget," she said as she looked towards the ground with a distant smile.

She then looked back up at Orihime. "I still don't understand how that turned into those kinds of feelings." She said shaking her head with a smile. "But it was kind of hard for me to ignore all those rumors and accusations. We _were_ in love once," she said with a pause. "But time changes things. I hadn't seen him in a few years, which was when we broke up and after talking to him twice everyone thought we were together." She rolled her eyes and reached for the glass of water on the table.

Rukia began to take a sip as Orihime pushed for more. "So you were being reminded of your previous relationship with him and that is what made you angry?"

Rukia brought the glass away from her mouth and sighed as she placed it back down on the table, "I don't know if you can say I was angry over that. I was more upset, I guess. I was being reminded of something that I technically was forced to let go of."

Orihime looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

The raven haired woman all of a sudden felt aware of the camera on her. She wasn't being afraid to speak the truth, but now it was getting a little too personal. She probably shouldn't have said that last part. She could only imagine what Ichigo was thinking right about now.

Rukia chose to buy herself some time. "What do you mean, 'What do you mean?'"

"I mean, what did you mean by being forced to let go of something?" Orihime asked again.

Rukia squinted curiously at her friend, "What do you think it means?"

Orihime all of a sudden turned to the camera with a huge fake smile, "I think it means we should go to a break! We'll be right back!"

The strawberry blonde turned to her best friend. "That got awkward fast," she stated.

Rukia sighed, "I said more than I wanted to. Sorry. I didn't know what to do."

Orihime chuckled. "It's fine. These questions are personal. But I have to ask them. I should be the one saying 'sorry'."

"Don't worry about it. Agreeing to do this means I should have been prepared for this kind of thing," Rukia explained.

"Speaking 'means,'" Orihime said with a smile, "Let's try not to say that word for the rest of the interview. We may have over done it."

Rukia laughed, "Agreed."

"And you don't have to answer them if you don't want. Just say something creative. I know you have that capability."

Rukia sighed, "Alright. We'll see what happens."

"Oh, I'm getting the green light," Orihime said getting herself situated again. "Welcome back to _The Secret's In The Telling_. I'm here with Rukia Kuchiki and we're talking about some juicy questions that many of you have been dying to know," she said to the camera and then turned to face Rukia again. "Where were we?" she asked the raven haired woman in order to give her the option of what to do about the question.

"I think we were talking about relationships?" she said in a question form. She decided to be as vague as possible.

"Oh! That brings me to this next question. How are you and Shuuhei doing?" she said with a kind smile.

Rukia exhaled as she felt her body relax. She was in a safe zone now. It was a much more comfortable atmosphere now. "We're doing great. He came back two days ago from being kidnapped for about a month."

"Kidnapped?" Orihime said, faking concern.

"Yeah," Rukia answered as she continued to act. "He said they used whips and told him to do things under poor conditions. Said they were a big fan of role playing…" she said with a grimace.

Orihime let out a laugh. "Shuuhei is staring in that new action film that's being filmed in the desert, right?"

Rukia smiled. "Yeah. I'm thrilled he's back, although he has to leave again in the next few days. All work, no play."

Orihime tilted her head curiously to the side, "Any plans for you two in the future?"

Rukia raised both eyebrows, "Like marriage?" Her friend replied with a nod. "Um, we haven't really talked about it," she said moving uncomfortably in her chair.

"Do you _see_ a future with Shuuhei?"

Rukia let out a laugh. "Who couldn't? He's one of the hottest actors in the world. Do you know how many girls out there dream of him as their husband and having his babies?"

"I bet too many," Orihime said with a laugh.

"Mhm," Rukia said with a smile. "But yeah. Shuuhei and I are going really good. Haven't had any issues and he's definitely a prince charming."

Orihime showed a face of swooning. "And he's _your_ prince charming…"

Rukia broke eye contact and looked towards the floor. "Yeah," she said in deep thought before looking back up at her friend with a forced smile.

Orihime looked down at a note card. "We got a few specific questions here for you from some fans. This one is asking about your next project." She looked back up at Rukia, "They want to know anything you can say about it."

Rukia smiled sweetly. "Well, I haven't been talking about it for a reason. I'm so excited to get it out there for people to read, but honestly, it's killing me slowly."

"Why?"

"My publisher's gave me a deadline. I can safely say the book will be out sometime this fall. It's what my contract says. And to hand in a chapter every few days- well let's just say writer's block has been quite present lately," the writer said as she combed her hand through her shoulder length hair.

Rukia continued, "But I can tell you that this is definitely going to be my favorite one yet. I can't even give you the title because it's still too hard to name. I'll figure it out though. Also, I apologize that I have decided not to give out any information on what it is about." She shrugged, "So until you have it in your hands, it's a mystery."

Orihime sighed. "That's so cruel," she let slip from her mouth.

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Don't try to make me feel guilty."

"You won't even tell your best friend what it is you've been slaving over for months! It's not very polite," she said almost with a pout.

The raven haired woman rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "What can I say? I'm stubborn," she ended with a smirk. "Maybe you should ask the next question."

Orihime sighed, "The next person says that they recently read in a magazine that you went to a dinner party for the celebration of the new magazine, _Fallen Angel_. Your date was Ichigo Kurosaki. How close are you two now and is it true that he is no longer dating Senna Otonashi? Maybe he broke up with her for you."

The strawberry blonde blinked a few times and then looked up from the card. "Wow. Blunt."

Rukia took a deep breath and then puffed her cheeks out before letting it exhale out of her mouth slowly. She then chuckled, "Specific topic today, huh? Kurosaki's that much of a mystery to everyone?"

Orihime shrugged. "I think…" she hesitated. "I don't think they see him as a mystery. I think they just want to know what you have to say about him. They already heard what he had to say about you…"

Rukia stretched her neck and let out another deep breath. This was stressful, but she knew there was no avoiding it. If she tried to, people would get suspicious and also think badly of her. 'Might as well tell them what they want to know,' she told herself.

"Yes, we did attend Urahara Kisuke's dinner party the other week, but it was strictly as friends. We wanted to help promote the magazine considering we were on the first issue's cover. He's a great guy to have around when you need a shoulder to cry on or if you just want a _really_ good distraction. We're really close friends and I couldn't ask for more."

"What about the latter part of the questions?" Orihime said hesitantly.

"Ichigo and Senna are on a break right now. She went touring on a different continent and he stayed here. They didn't see the point in keeping a long distant relationship. They might give it a try when she comes back. This break had nothing to do with me," she stressed the last statement.

Orihime nodded and then read another question. "Another Ichigo one."

Rukia laughed, "If there was a polite way to groan I would do that right now."

"Sorry. Maybe they think that if you're asked repeatedly about it all that you'll eventually come to terms with your fate," Orihime said.

"I doubt they think that," Rukia said with a chuckle.

"No, this question says that. 'The reason we all ask about the two of you is because we hope that if we asked repeatedly about it all that you'll eventually come to terms with your fate.'"

Rukia gave a chuckle of surprise. "Wow. No kidding?"

"Also, they want to know if you ever saw a future with Ichigo?"

"Strange how that question was used minutes ago with a different man…" Rukia stated in amusement and then shook her head with a smile. There was no giving up by the fans. "A long time ago I did. We were young and in love. Who doesn't dream of a house with a picket fence and little kids running around?"

"Cute," Orihime commented. "By the way, that was from the leader of the _IchiRuki Fanclub_. There's no doubt that they won't ignore that."

"IchiRuki? Did they seriously give us a couple name? We're not even a couple!" Rukia exclaimed with a smile due to disbelief. This was all a bit too ridiculous for her.

Orihime shrugged. "Think about it this way. Your fans love you so much that they want to see you happy."

Rukia then looked into the camera. "I appreciate the gesture, but I'm happy now. Please try to understand that?" she almost begged.

Orihime laughed and patted her friend on the arm, "Try not to let it get to you. He's being harassed just as much."

Rukia smiled and shook her head, "I hope so."

* * *

"Okay, tell me this. Why is it that you can laugh about all this and I'm the one that looks like a complete ass for trying to set people straight?" she yelled on the phone at a certain man that she was constantly paired with.

"Because you _are_ a complete ass. I'm the good guy in this relationship," he said with a smirk that she could imagine from his tone of voice.

"Bullshit! You're the cocky, rude guy in this relation- wait! That's just it! This _isn't_ a relationship! See! Your stupid remarks are the cause of all of this!" she exclaimed, knowing she was probably on the verge of making him go deaf.

She imagined him rolling his eyes during his next comment, "Calm down, shorty. I swear you let the littlest things get to you. I think its pretty clear we're not together. Try not to cry about it."

"Your sarcasm isn't appreciated at the moment."

"Do you ever appreciate it?" he asked curiously

"Stop talking. You're giving me a headache," she said beginning to rub her temples.

Ichigo looked at his phone incredulously and then spoke, "You do realize that _you_ called _me_, right?

"Ugh!" she yelled and then threw herself on her bed; her face in a pillow.

"Okay, maybe I should give you some alone time…" he began, feeling awkward.

"N-," she began with her face still in the pillow. She lifted her head and tried again. "No, no. I'm fine. I just needed to vent a little."

"So you called _me_ to vent about hating the fact that people want you and me in a relationship?" he asked, finding it a tad unusual.

Rukia bit her lip. "Um, yeah. Sorry. That was pretty stupid wasn't it?"

"You've done dumber things."

"Thanks a bunch," she replied, dripping in sarcasm.

"Mhm."

"So are you going to the fundraiser thing tonight?" Rukia asked changing subjects.

"You make it sound like it's a third grade bake sale. You do realize they're not selling cupcakes, right?"

"Screw you, Kurosaki. I know it's for the environment. Trying to keep the world from looking like crap like you."

"Beautiful come back," he replied. She could see his smirk perfectly in her mind.

"Are you going or not?" she asked impatiently.

"Yeah. I'm performing."

"What? Why didn't I know about this?" she asked, her mood suddenly changing.

"Again with you wanting to know every single detail of my life…" he said with a sigh.

She shook her head as if he could see her. "I've got to go, but try to find me later."

"Why?"

It was her turn to look at the phone incredulously. "What do you mean '_why_?'"

"Shuuhei's going to be with you. Why look for me?" he asked honestly trying to ignore the sting in his chest.

"Just because my boyfriend is back in town doesn't mean I'm going to ditch you. You're my friend, you idiot. Why wouldn't I want to spend time with you? Seriously, sometimes I think you really are a moron," she said with a smirk coming to her lips.

"Alright, midget. Go do what you gotta do. I'll see ya," he said with eyebrows furrowed as his chest again felt tighter than it had in years.

She heard the click on the other line and sighed. She couldn't believe it actually. They had become so close in the past few weeks and he was ready to take a step back just because her boyfriend returned. She didn't know whether to think he was being courteous or just plain stupid.

Oddly enough, she was having trouble getting over this little detail. It irked her. Her mind began to through theories in front of her eyes and she didn't like them one bit. 'He thinks he can just walk in and out of my life when he wants,' she thought and then shook her head. 'No. Maybe he's actually considering that if he hangs around me as often the rumors will keep going and Shuuhei will get upset.' She brought her index finger and tapped her lip and then shook her head. 'I don't think he cares that much about what Shuuhei thinks.'

Her hand then dropped to her lap as she sat on the side of the bed. 'But he does know that I care what Shuuhei thinks,' she thought with a mental sigh. She let out a laugh, 'Maybe Ichigo Kurosaki is a mystery. I can't even understand what he is trying to do by avoiding me.'

She stood up and went into her walk-in closet in her mission to find an outfit for the night. Her mind kept moving. 'Well he's not technically avoiding me. But he thinks he shouldn't be around when I'm with Shuuhei. Like Shuuhei wouldn't share me! He's one of the most easygoing guys I've ever met!' she added a chuckle at its ridiculousness.

She pulled out a pair of faded blue jeans. It was a casual event; something she was thrilled about. She loved to look pretty for special occasions, don't get her wrong. Its just she would choose jeans over a dress any day. She continued her search for a top.

'Ichigo's mood changes so quickly. One minute he's so damn cocky or caring and another he's serious or depressed. He tried to make it sound like that conversation was nothing, but he felt awkward about it; I know him that much. He's been kind of weird ever since Shuuhei came back actually. Like he's done something wrong and shied away,' she shook her head at the thought.

The raven haired woman grabbed a shirt on a hanger and pulled it down. She furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to determine if she liked her decision. She shook her head and hung it back up, causing her search to continue.

'The weird part is he hasn't done anything. It was weird. I have to admit that; when Ichigo saw the necklace on me two days ago. Shuuhei loves that damn charm on me so much. The poor guy doesn't have any idea when or who it's from. I mean, he thinks he's the first to tell me that it matches my eyes perfectly. I've heard that a million times by the one who gave it to me. That was the reason _he_ bought it for me,' she finished her thought and pulled out another shirt. It was a three quarter sleeved shirt with a v-neck. The design on the black shirt was white music notes floating all over the front along with a winding music staff in which the notes should have been stationed on. She smiled and walked out of the closet with her jeans and shirt over her arm.

'The look in his eyes when he acknowledged the trinket on my neck made me feel weak; almost as if it was too much of a touchy subject that I shouldn't bring it up by ever wearing it again. But how can I do that when Shuuhei just bought me an extremely expensive chain to wear the damn thing on it? I'm expected to wear it tonight,' she let out an exasperated sigh.

'Men are always saying how they don't understand women; that they're too complicated. Well I have news for them,' she began as she got ready to change into her outfit. 'Women have a hard time understanding them too sometimes. The difference is: they're too simple.'

* * *

"We already have an amazing outcome. Donations are flying in and we'd like to thank those of you already giving us your support. The number is at the bottom of the screen right now and you don't have to spend more than you can. Every little bit counts!" Momo yelled with enthusiasm as she stood next to a very laid back redhead.

"Don't even think you can't make a difference. Five bucks can buy a trash can on the side of the road. No excuses," he said with a frown until Momo nudged him with a fake smile on her face. He then understood and put on a forced grin as well.

Ichigo shook his head. "He's such an idiot," he whispered more to himself than anyone in particular.

"For now we're going to go into a break so stick around for some performances. We even have a satellite all the way across the world to give you a performance by Senna Otonashi. So stick around!" Momo yelled energetically. The two hosts walked off the stage after the cameraman gave them the signal.

There were hundreds of circular tables located throughout the enormous theater. White table cloths with lit candles in the center were everywhere you looked. The building itself was dimly lit, so the candles helped give it a comfortable ambiance.

Ichigo sighed as he cracked his neck. His eyes stared into the small flame of the candle at the table he was sitting at. Being reminded of a great opportunity that his manager screwed him over with was not pleasant. He tried to calm down as he pictured himself punching his _close family friend_ in the face.

"Hey, I thought I told you to try and find me?" a soft, playful voice came from behind him as he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. His back straightened immediately as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. He turned his head quickly with wide eyes and then exhaled to try and regain control of his body.

Both of her eyebrows were raised from his reaction as her hand remained in the air from surprise. She let it fall to her side before moving into her usual stance and crossing her arms over her chest. A smile began to form on her lips. "Tense about something?"

"No," he answered shortly as he stared blankly back at her.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Okay?" she said in confusion. Then, she smiled again. "I tell you to find me and you make no attempt whatsoever."

"How do you know I didn't look for you?" he said with a frown.

"You're sitting down listening to Renji be a moron on stage," she stated confidently.

"What's your point?"

She looked at him incredulously. "Are you serious? You could care less what he has to say, no matter what it's about."

He let out a disgusted chuckle. "Way to make me sound like a complete asshole," he said looking away from her at nothing in particular.

She frowned. "What's wrong?"

His eyes went wide and then he looked back at her immediately. "What?"

"Something's wrong with you. You're upset. You're trying to act like a hotshot, but not the usual cocky type. You're being mean and angry, which means something upset you. Tell me what's going on," she demanded in a soft tone with caring eyes. 'Why didn't I see he was hurt over something earlier? Was I being that selfish earlier?'

It was moments like these that he realized just how much he hated her knowing so much about him. He wasn't ready for her to see right through him. It had been awhile since someone could read him so easily. He had no idea what to do.

She took a seat next to him and all he could do was keep his eyes completely focused on her. She leaned forward towards him in her seat. "Come on," she started to put on a soft genuine smile. "I've had to pull things out of you so many times before. You should really stop thinking this time will be anything different."

He looked away from her violet eyes. They were dangerous to stare in at times like these. "I'm just stressed out."

"Well I can tell that," she said like it was obvious. She placed her hand on his knee causing him to move his eyes to the area of her tender touch. He then met her eyes again. Bad idea. Her head was tilted to the side slightly with pure innocence. "Share with me your worries," she said in a joking tone with a smile.

He bit down hard. How was he supposed to deny her an answer? She seemed to care what he actually felt. Maybe he could tell her straight out that he loved her more than anything and that he would die for her. Maybe he could propose to her right then and there. Or maybe he could grab her hand placed on his knee, give it a slight tug so that her body would collide with his, as would her lips. Then something caught his attention over her shoulder. Shuuhei was walking in their direction. His eyes locked back with hers.

"I just…" he struggled to find words. He needed to know what he was planning, but before he could think it through. He spoke. "I miss Senna." He didn't know he was that desperate.

Rukia's eyes went wide for half a second and then she slowly dragged her hand off of his knee and sat back in the chair. She gave him a soft smile as Ichigo felt disgusted with himself; her removal of her hand burned terribly. If he could, he would run out of there and deal with this now very upset stomach.

For some reason, Rukia didn't expect him to say that. It was weird hearing him say those words. Out of all the things she had gotten him to admit when she knew he was upset, this kind of thing never came up. He never confessed to her that he had feelings for any other girl besides herself. She felt something tug at her chest, but paid no attention to it. No matter what the subject was she knew that she had to help him get through this feeling of hurt.

"Are you upset about seeing her perform in a few minutes?" she asked calmly.

What was he supposed to do now? He had completely lied to her. Was he supposed to keep going with it now? He wanted to grab the knife on the table and run it through his chest. He figured he might as well have proof of the pain than live in secret turmoil.

He took his eyes off of hers and looked to the floor. He nodded slowly.

"Maybe you should try to talk to her? She seemed like a nice girl. I doubt she'd be able to deny you after hearing the hurt in your voice when you tell her," she said feeling sympathy for him. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked back over her shoulder and saw Shuuhei. She delivered a smile, but saw he was angry about something. What was with all the men in her life having something bothering them? She decided to finish with Ichigo first before attempting her boyfriend. Her eyes went back to amber.

He let her words move through his mind. 'The hurt in my voice won't be meant for her,' he thought to himself in response to Rukia's suggestion. "Maybe. I'll have to think about it." He knew he had to end this. So he took a deep breath and forced a believable smile. "I'm feeling better now. Thanks, but I've gotta get goin'. I'm supposed to be performing after Senna," he said beginning to stand up and walk past her.

She quickly grabbed his forearm; something he internally groaned at. He really wanted her to just leave him alone for awhile. He looked down at her and she just continued to smile up at him. "If you need to talk, just let me know." He gave another smile, although it was less convincing. He turned to walk again, but she didn't let go. He turned to look at her again; something that continued to tear at the flesh in his chest.

"Good luck," she added with a beautiful smile. 'He doesn't need it, but I want to cheer him up. He's pretending to be fine.'

He smiled for real in response. "Thanks."

She let go of his forearm and began to walk away. Rukia looked up at Shuuhei. "So," she began with another concerned face. "Care to tell me why you're angry?"

He looked at the retreating back of a certain orange headed man. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

Ichigo stood behind stage as he waited for Renji to mess up his introduction. Not like he needed any special invitation, but he knew Renji would make him look bad somehow or another or just make him feel uncomfortable.

"She's got one beautiful voice, I'll tell ya," the redhead began before looking away from the screen on the wall where Senna's performance was seen. "And who else would follow her but her ex-lover. "Ichigo Kurosaki, get out here!" he said with a grin.

The orange headed man wanted to kill him. '_Ex-lover_? Fuck you, Renji,' he cursed in his mind as his teeth gritted together. He was having trouble remaining stable _without_ his little embarrassing stunts.

He came out onto the stage with a smile and sat down on a stool already set up for him. The microphone was placed a little too far away as he sat down with the black acoustic guitar on his knee. He smoothed out his dark blue jeans on his thighs and pulled his shirt down. He wore a collared, white t-shirt under a green t-shirt that had the word, "Listen," written on it in script.

He leaned forward to grab it and pull it forward. "Hey there," he said with a suave tone. "Some of you are surprised to see me with a guitar, I don't blame you. You've known me as a piano man. But I started off with the guitar, so I'm bringing back my youth, I guess," he said with smirk.

Then, he sang.

_Was it you who spoke the words that things would happen but not to me  
Oh things are gonna happen naturally  
Oh taking your advice I'm looking on the bright side  
And balancing the whole thing_

He had written this song back when he admitted on Orihime's talk show that he had feelings for Rukia. It was something he never planned on introducing to an audience, but he was feeling daring. But now that Rukia believed he had feelings for his ex, he honestly didn't have anything to worry about. Sadly.

_But often times those words get tangled up in lines  
And the bright lights turn to night  
Until the dawn it brings  
A little bird to sing about the magic that was you and me_

He had lied to her. That's what his words said. He lied to her months ago when he said the feelings he had for her were strictly platonic and he had lied to her now, saying he had feelings for someone else. But although his words revealed sadness, there were other words that revealed possible hope.

_Cause you and I both loved  
What you and I spoke of  
And others just read of  
Others only read of the love, the love that I love._

His chorus dreamed of days where he could freely love her. It described not only that, but days where she felt the same in return. It was something so rare yet somehow it had ended. Somehow they fell out of love… or so they made it out to seem.

_See I'm all about them words  
Over numbers, unencumbered numbered words  
Hundreds of pages, pages, pages for words  
More words then I had ever heard and I feel so alive_

He wanted anything to hear her say that he was her one and only. That she could only ever love him. He wanted to know why he felt so strongly about her; how she was the only one who could make him feel so dramatic yet alive at the same time. He never felt this weak about anyone before, but the more his unrequited love tore at his insides the more he found the words harder to sing.

_Oh love, no  
You and I, you and I  
Not so little you and I anymore, mmm...  
And with this silence brings a moral story  
More importantly evolving is the glory of a boy_

The words were reaching out to Rukia. They were beautiful and his fingers played elegantly on the instrument she grew up hearing him play. Her eyes admired his craft, but her heart ached for some unknown reason. Was it pity? She could only assume so. These words carried so much longing. She wished Senna could give him the happiness that he deserved.

_Cause you and I both loved  
What you and I spoke of  
And others just read of  
And if you could see me now  
Well I'm almost finally out of  
I'm finally out of  
Finally deedeedeedee  
Well I'm almost finally, finally  
Well I'm free, oh, I'm free_

Rukia knew the pain he had. He missed Senna. She remembered that feeling; that feeling of yearning for the other when they were not within reach. It _was_ painful. And although he had been the reason for her pain, she wouldn't wish it on him. He was her best friend after all. She would look out for him as he looked after her whenever she needed it. If he could be there for her when she was down, she could be there for him.

_And it's okay if you have to go away  
Oh just remember the telephone works both ways  
And if I never ever hear them ring  
If nothing else I'll think the bells inside  
Have finally found you someone else and that's okay  
Cause I'll remember everything you sang_

Ichigo looked away from the microphone, away from his guitar, and away from his lap. He finally met the audience. And despite his best effort to avoid finding her, she was the first person he saw and his eyes couldn't move from her. He knew the words he sang at the moment told her that he was fine that she had moved on; that he would be happy for her. But he also sang of how he would never forget what they had. And as he stared across the room at her, he meant every word.

_Cause you and I both loved what you and I spoke of  
and others just read of and if you could see now  
well I'm almost finally out of.  
I'm finally out of, finally, deedeeededede  
well I'm almost finally, finally, out of words._

He sang the first line of the chorus strongly; the one line that said that they had been in love and that it was pure. His eyes never left her and he knew that she didn't suspect a thing. He couldn't take it anymore. He bowed his head towards his guitar and sang the rest of the song with his eyes closed tightly, but with his heart wide open.

Then he ended. The applause roared. He gave a nod of appreciation with a smirk and then walked off stage with his guitar in hand. He walked to his own little room that he was given and placed it back in its case. His head pounded along with his chest. He'd end up giving himself a heart attack at this rate. Then, he heard a knock at the door. "Come in," he said without turning towards the door. He wasn't in a hurry to see who it was.

"Hey. Can I talk to you?" the deep voice said with a serious tone as Ichigo heard the door click behind him.

He turned to see Shuuhei standing about four feet away with his hands in his pockets. The look in his eyes told Ichigo he meant business, but he was _not _in the mood for company. He needed alone time. Didn't people understand that?

"Um, sure," the orange headed man said hesitantly.

"I just want to clear some things up," Shuuhei began with a strong posture. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the obvious defensive stance. "While I was away, you became close with my girlfriend." He paused, "Now I don't care who she hangs out with. She can be friends with whoever she wants. She's her own person. But I know you two have had some sort of past. It's no secret."

Ichigo squinted slightly to try and understand where he was going with this.

"The fact that you two were in a long and complicated relationship doesn't even bother me. It's the way the people respond to it that bothers me. They encourage it. I think you can understand how that might upset me," he said casually.

"Of course. Makes sense," Ichigo said with his same suspicious look.

"But that only started bothering me after a buddy of mine told me that you went as her date to an important dinner party," he said, finally getting somewhere.

Ichigo took a deep breath, but continued to give off a serious stare. The man hadn't done anything aggressive yet, but he didn't want to look like he could be easily pushed over by some hotshot actor.

"The weird part is: that really didn't bother me. I trust her. And I believe you only went as friends. But of course my mind continues to think about things. So after I found that out, I understood that you accompanied her to promote a magazine cover that you two did together. Again, I didn't feel too upset." He paused, "I started to get suspicious though. The number of events you two attended together was adding up within a maximum of thirty seconds."

Ichigo felt it coming. He raised his chin up into the air slightly. He wouldn't be seen as weak now. Not when he needed to hide what he couldn't possibly have.

Shuuhei continued, "The one thing that did it for me was something I never expected." He pulled something out of his back pocket and unfolded it. He held it out lazily for Ichigo to recognize it. "This set me off." He looked at it for a second and then back at Ichigo. "There's no way you can look at someone like that and not mean it. I don't buy it."

Ichigo let out a chuckle and rolled his eyes, "Paranoid much?"

"I'm not laughing," he said bitterly. "I watched the way you looked at her before. I saw the way you looked only at her up on stage. If you have feelings for her, fine. But I want you to know that I'm not going to let you take her from me."

Ichigo glared, "She's not a piece of furniture. You can't claim her as your own. Human beings don't work that way."

"I've heard some things about how much you ruined her. She was a wreck for years after you dumped her. If you want to be friends with her that's fine, but if you even dare of trying anything, I _will_ fight for her. She deserves someone who won't make the mistake of letting her go once," he said boldly. This last statement made every muscle in Ichigo's body tense. He wanted to grab the chair only inches away from him and smash it over his _rival's_ head.

Shuuhei didn't say anything bad enough that it was cause for a beating, but the accusation and subject was something he wanted to deny and ignore. But the facts were staring him in the face. That cover said it all.

"I think you should get out before you say anything you might regret," Ichigo threatened clearly through almost clenched teeth.

Shuuhei furrowed his eyebrows and met Ichigo's glare. "The only thing I would regret is not making it clear that you don't have a chance."

Ichigo clenched his fists by his sides. "You have no idea, pretty boy. You clearly have no idea about any of this."

Shuuhei gave him a confused look in his eyes that told Ichigo to go on. "When she's upset, she runs to me. Not to her best girl friends, not to _you_, but to _me_. I'm the only one that can get her to stop torturing herself from her own emotions. I'm the only one that can take care of her when she refuses to let anyone do it. And I'm the only love that she'll remember beyond the day she dies." He raised his chin up into the air again. "You see, Shuuhei. You have no chance; not if I decided to fight for her."

Shuuhei took a step forward and raised his chin as well. "Stop living in the past. You're time is over."

Ichigo smirked in his face. "You see, that's where you're wrong again." He smirked even more, "You're just a distraction; a tool she holds onto that's _supposed_ to keep her happy."

Shuuhei continued to glare, "Well at least she's holding me."

Ichigo glared even more with a smirk, "Yeah, but who do you think is making her happy?"

And just like that, Shuuhei let Ichigo have what it. His fist left the orange headed man's cheek bone cut from the ring on the actor's finger. Ichigo's body went flying back onto the table that held his guitar case. He looked up dizzily. He shook his head to clear his vision; decreasing four Shuuhei's to two.

"If I see you so much as touch her, I'll leave a mark much bigger than that," he threatened.

Ichigo really couldn't think of anything to say. He let him walk out of his room without attempting to fight back. He felt the swelling begin on his face. He gently raised his hand and let his fingers brush the wound. He brought his hand in front of him and saw the blood.

Ichigo let himself drop to the floor. Shuuhei hadn't planned on getting violent, Ichigo knew that. But part of him wanted it. It was going to be his way of being able to let out his anger and frustration with himself. But as soon as Shuuhei's fist hit his face, he felt disgusted with himself again. He felt he deserved this one sided fight. He felt he deserved a beating. Guilt began to flow through him as he realized he had intentionally made him get violent. But now that the words were exchanged, there was no helping this rivalry. Ichigo had to decide soon whether he was willing to fight for her because soon her head would be filled with words that Ichigo would only want for her to hear come from his lips.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I had to stop. I promised people it would be out by tonight, so cutting it shorter than what I planned was necessary. Ugh, I'm grossed out by how many errors there probably are. Tell me what you think. Later


	17. Speechless

**A/N:** Next chapter. Named after "Speechless," by The Veronicas. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: No.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 17: Speechless_

"_I'm tired of always being saved by you. Why can't I save you from monsters now?" Ichigo's ten year old self complained with his arms crossed in a pouting way._

"_Oh stop trying to be a hero!" Rukia said beginning to swing her invisible sword around._

"_Rukia! Come on! I can save you just as good!"_

"_Just as __**well**__. Geesh Ichigo, learn your language," she said as she continued to make swooshing sounds when she swung her sword._

"_Ruki-" he began but was interrupted._

"_Alright, alright," she said walking over to him. She pulled a small keychain out of her pocket and held it high above her head. She lowered her voice to sound as if she was godly. "I now give Ichigo Kurosaki the power to fight!" she said and then brought the keychain down into his hands._

_He smiled at it and looked up at his best friend. "Don't worry, Rukia! I'll save you!" he said as he picked up his petite friend and threw her over his shoulder._

"_Ichigo! Let me down!" she yelled as he continued to run around with one arm holding onto her and the other swinging his sword._

"_Ichigo!"_

"Ichigo!" her voice blended with another's.

Ichigo's left eye began to open as a familiar face spoke to him again. "Rise and shine birthday boy," the man said.

* * *

"I can't believe you're another year older. Wow, I feel old."

"Oh shut up. You're only like four years older than me. You shouldn't be feeling that way when I'm turning twenty-three," Ichigo said with irritation as he flopped down into a chair of the kitchen table's. Kaien was standing up at his brother's island as he made a check list for what was needed.

Kaien pretended to give him a heartfelt look, "Ah, little brother, but seems like I've been the one to raise you during all these years."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and began to rub his hand through his hair. "Wouldn't be surprised seeing how crazy dad is," he ended with a yawn. He had just been woken up by the man standing in front of him jumping up and down on his bed singing happy birthday.

Kaien laughed in response. Ichigo took this moment to complain. "I really don't see the need in having party. I doubt if people are going to be able to come since you only started planning this, what? An hour or two ago?"

The darker haired man didn't look up from his sheet of paper and pen. "That's not _exactly_ true," he said in a suspicious way.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

The older Kurosaki let out a nervous laugh. "I kinda, well, had this planned for a month."

The younger Kurosaki's eyes opened wide, despite his sleepy attitude. His palms hit the table as he pushed himself out of his seat. "A month?!"

Kaien just smirked and made a check next to 'call family.' "Oh don't give yourself an aneurysm. It'll be good for you. You should be thankful it's not a surprise party. You'd have _really_ lost it," he ended with a chuckle.

"No, you already used up your little surprise with your greeting this morning," Ichigo said through gritted teeth as he slowly sat back down. His arms were now crossed over his chest and it looked like he was almost pouting.

Kaien finally looked up at his brother. "Yeah, but you can imagine my surprise when I saw that shiner on your face. You still haven't explained that one. What kind of gang bang did you get yourself into?"

Ichigo raised his left hand to feel the wound on his left cheek bone. It was definitely black and blue with an obvious healing cut in the center of it. It stretched from the edge of his cheek bone, closest to his nose, all the way to the outside corner of his eye. He flinched at the contact his fingers made with it. "Damn it," he hissed. "It still hurts like a bitch."

"I'd think so," Kaien added. "When did you get that?"

Ichigo sighed and let his hand drop from his face he closed his eyes as he leaned back in the chair. "The night of the fundraiser."

Kaien raised an eyebrow and leaned on the island. "You've got my attention. What happened?" he said with a curious smile and glowing dark blue eyes.

Ichigo looked at him and frowned at how eager he was to learn the story. "Is there anyway you'd believe I fell down some stairs?"

Kaien grinned, "Nope."

"How about hit by a car?"

"Nope."

"Playing football?"

"Nope."

"An angry fan forced me to do things with her?"

"Unlikely."

"I head-banged against a table by accident?"

"Come on, Ichigo-" Kaien began to complain, but was interrupted by another possibility.

"I got punched in the face because someone is jealous?"

Kaien eyed his brother curiously. "Who could you possibly make jeal-" he began before his eyes went wide and his mouth opened in understanding. He pointed his finger at the orange headed man. "Shuuhei punched you in the face because he knows you're in love with Rukia!"

Ichigo exhaled at the memory and then looked at his brother in shock. "What the hell?! I'm not in-"

"Oh cram it. You can fool everyone else but you can't fool me. You totally sang to her that night," he said as if it was obvious.

Ichigo opened his mouth to deny it, but what was the use? He let his body relax. "Can I really fool everyone else?"

Kaien chuckled, "Well, I don't think they think you're head over heels. They do catch ya starin' at her at times, which is what Renji's told me. That gets 'em suspicious. But Rukia," he paused. "Yeah, I don't think she has a clue. So you're golden," he said with a thumbs up.

Ichigo threw a hand over his face and dragged it down dramatically slow as he groaned. "I've been trying to _not_ feel this way towards her."

Kaien frowned, "Why? This is great! You two always get each other. It's perfect."

Ichigo shook his head. "No, its not. We have a past. It's complicated."

Kaien waved a hand in the air, "Who cares! Hasn't anyone told you stop livin' in the past?"

Ichigo gave a disgusted chuckle. "Yeah, that's exactly why I'm trying to stop."

The elder of the two looked at his brother with serious eyes. "You're taking it the wrong way." He continued to stare back at him. "Forget what happened before. Forget all the trouble it caused you. Focus on what's going on now. Focus on how you feel now." He titled his head curiously to the side, "Now tell me," he began. "How do you feel about her?"

Ichigo looked down to his lap. "I- I don't know if I could take away our past. It's too hard-" he could barely finish the sentence.

"Concentrate!" Kaien yelled eagerly rather than angrily. "You had feelings for her back when you first ran into her at the award show after party. But then things happened and you went two separate ways. You even dated Senna for months. You had feelings for another woman besides Rukia. Then you ran into her again. What happened? Did you find you had feelings for the old Rukia or just… Rukia?"

Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows as he thought about the question. His gaze stayed at his lap. He did have feelings for Senna. Could he have been in a relationship that long without feeling strongly about her? No. His feelings toward Rukia faded and he moved on. _He moved on._ It felt so strange for him to think those very words, but he did and he knew they were true. He thought about seeing her at his photo shoot months after their last meeting. He thought about how drunk she had gotten and how he had to carry her home. He began to smile at the memory. Then, he thought of the magazine cover they had starred on.

'_The Most Beautiful And Electrifying Couple Who Refuse It To Be True'_ a caption that he laughed at when he first read it. Now, he found it hard to deny its truthfulness; at least for his part.

He then began to think it through again. He thought about that day at the photo shoot again. His mind flashed to holding her in his arms as he caught her from falling. He remembered her surprised violet eyes staring up into his amber as her hands rested against his chest in an effort to steady herself. The feeling of her icy touch burned through his shirt, through his chest and into his heart. He then smirked as he found it ironic how he had caught her from falling and instead of _her_ catching _him_. He slowly turned to look at his brother with a light smile on his lips.

"I've fallen in love with her all over again."

Kaien smiled warmly at him and gave a single nod. "So at least you know you're not living in the past."

Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck in stress. "Yeah, but what _does_ that tell me?"

Kaien smirked, "That that girl will always have some power over you. And you can't do anything about it."

Ichigo let his head fall and his forehead hit the table. "Ow," he said effortlessly feeling the pain of the impact somehow affect his cheek wound. He added to his brother's statement. "Don't ever let her hear those words. She'll go wild with power," he joked, yet was surprisingly serious.

Kaien laughed, "So," he began with his chin resting on his open palm. "Shuuhei got that angry about a feeling he got? Sounds so unlike him."

Ichigo groaned. "I may or may not have provoked him."

Kaien raised an eyebrow. "Why the hell would you do that?"

The younger brother sighed and picked his head off the table to look at Kaien. "I was hoping to get some anger out by starting a fight with him."

"What were you so damn angry about?"

Ichigo broke eye contact and looked to the side at nothing in particular. "I told Rukia I missed Senna."

Kaien gave him an incredulous look. "Are you a complete idiot?!"

"I know," Ichigo said regrettably.

"Why would you do that?!"

"Because she clearly doesn't feel the same way about me. She's in a good relationship with Shuuhei. I was upset about it and she wanted to know what was wrong with me. I couldn't tell her the truth. It would have made things awkward and Shuuhei was on his way over by the time I had to answer," he explained. "So I said I missed Senna." He sighed, "She seemed to take it pretty fine too. Kinda stung."

Kaien shook his head at the whole situation. "Rukia is either really oblivious or better at being an actor than Uryuu, Renji or Momo are," he said to himself more than to Ichigo. He directed his words to Ichigo next. "Do you understand where that leaves you right now? She thinks you still care about Senna."

"I know," Ichigo agreed sadly.

Kaien shook his head and huffed. "How did Shuuhei come into the picture?"

"He came into my dressing room to say that he sees I care about her and that it's fine, unless I act on it. Plus, the media has been getting to him. Ya know, all the rumors and such."

"Okay. So how did that lead to him punching you?"

"I told him the truth; that she only comes to me when she needs help and that I'm the only on she'll ever care about so strongly."

Kaien raised both of his eyebrows with surprise. "He got angry over that? I figured it would be more offensive whatever it was that made him get violent."

Ichigo gave a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I kinda said I was the one making her happy behind his back and well… yeah. The suggestion was made."

"Oh. Yeah, you deserved that," Kaien said truthfully and casually. "So how much damage did you do to him?"

"None."

Kaien looked at him in disappointment. "Come on. Are you serious? I thought you knew how to fight? Didn't you kick some kid's ass in high school? I figured you'd be able to get a broken nose out of him, not go home the loser."

"No, you don't get it," Ichigo began to explain. "I didn't fight back." He saw his brother's face show shock, so he explained. "I hated myself for stooping so low and _forcing_ him to hit me. He didn't deserve to get a hurt. He didn't do anything wrong. He was just telling me to back off because he cares about his girlfriend. I had my own issues that made me want to fight him. I totally deserve this," he ended pointing towards his cheek.

"Jesus Christ, man," Kaien began. "You're a mess."

"Thanks," Ichigo replied softly, but his sarcasm still evident.

"But we're still having this party tonight," he said with perkiness.

"Come on, man. I haven't seen anyone in two days. You were the first to see this wound of shame on my face!"

"Well you're gonna have to come up with a good story then, huh?" he replied with a smirk.

"You seriously suck."

"Live with it."

"Why do you care about me having a party so much?" Ichigo complained again.

"Don't you want to have a party as good as mine are?" Kaien asked going back to his check list.

"I could care less."

"Well I want to go to an awesome party so your birthday is a great excuse to throw one," he explained finally.

"Love your underlying reason," Ichigo said sarcastically. "Need an excuse to get drunk and laid."

"We all have our own reasoning. Mine just happens to please everyone in the process," he said with a satisfied grin.

"Except the one you're supposedly doing it for," Ichigo said in a monotone.

"Kiss my ass. You'll enjoy it and you know it. Besides, Rukia is gonna be there," he said wiggling his eyebrows.

Ichigo gave him an incredulous look. "How is that a good thing?!"

"Tell her you love her and make babies already."

"Okay, seriously, fuck you."

Kaien laughed. "You'll be fine. Shuuhei's probably too afraid to tell her anything."

"Whatever. Do what you have to with my house. Call me when people start showing up," he said getting up out of the chair and heading to his room.

* * *

She was a little late, but it was better than not at all. How could she miss her best friend's birthday? The part she was still shocked about was how desperate Shuuhei was to keep her home tonight. She brought up going to Ichigo's party the previous day and he completely shot it down. She was completely stunned to see him so passionate about not attending. When she asked him why, he told her that he had plans for the two of them to go out and have a night all to themselves.

Now that the night came, she found that these plans that Shuuhei said he had planned a long time ago were not going to happen and that his night for the two of them was turning into a night on the couch watching whatever was on TV.

Rukia pretended to get a call from her editor and that they were in desperate need of help with the latest chapter she gave them. She told Shuuhei it wouldn't take long and then left. She didn't want him to think she was ditching him for something not important; well, not important to him anyway. Thank god she didn't call earlier and say she couldn't come.

When she arrived, she was definitely aware that Kaien threw it. There was a mountain of presents that she knew Ichigo would not be eager to open at all. Someone would have to basically urge him to open them. She then heard the amazing sound system blaring through the house. Also, the amount of people was enough to explain Ichigo had no hand in the creation of this celebration. He would have never taken time to contact all of them in some way or another just to celebrate something he could care less about.

People were everywhere. There were at least two hundred people present. The possibility of finding the man everyone was there for was growing slim as she realized he would be off hiding somewhere. She walked in deeper wearing a light blue summer dress, which flowed easily and went down right below her knees.

She smiled and greeted acquaintances that she passed by before finding a more familiar face. "Kaien!" she yelled his name through the music.

He turned and raised his cup of beer to her as a greeting, "Rukia! Glad you finally made it!"

"Yeah. Sorry I'm late. Looks like a great party," she said holding her matching blue purse to her side.

"Even better now that you're here," he said with a smirk. Rukia rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Do you know where I could find-" she began to ask but was interrupted.

"Oh, Kaien," a woman said seductively as she placed her hand on his elbow. He turned and looked at her before grinning. "Sorry, Rukia. Could you excuse me?"

Rukia raised an eyebrow and tried to hold back a chuckle. "Sure." She watched him walk away with the woman next to him and tried not to think about what they intended to do.

She looked around the room again and her eye caught red hair. She made her towards the brute and found him pushing someone against a wall and completely making out with them. His hand was on the verge of going up her shirt; that's how bad it was. Rukia began to turn away in disgust from the display before her eyes focused more on the woman. She began to smile at the realization. Renji was making out with Tatsuki. She chuckled and turned around. She didn't want to interrupt them.

Her search continued. Finally, she found the living room where she saw Orihime sitting next to Uryuu on the couch. She began to walk up to the two who were staring at each other intently, but then stopped. They kissed once and then hesitated before continuing. Before Rukia knew it they were also making out. Not as ruthlessly as the last two, but making out nevertheless.

She turned around suddenly. 'What the hell?! I just want to ask a simple question!'

Rukia began to walk in a different direction and saw Karin Kurosaki talking to Chad. She began to walk closer and noticed Karin pull her hair behind her ear and smile up at him in a certain way that stopped Rukia. 'Are they… flirting?' she thought in surprise. 'She's eighteen now, but has always been pretty mature,' she thought to herself. The five year difference wasn't too much of a problem, she guessed. But she couldn't bring it to herself to interrupt them. 'Why is everyone coupling up all of a sudden?' she gave one final thought before walking away.

Now that she thought about it, she doubted that anyone had any idea where he was. It was pointless trying to ask. So, she began her search.

She made her way towards the beautiful winding staircase, but froze as her fingers grazed the railing. 'Hiding in his room would be too obvious,' she thought and then turned around.

Rukia then made her way towards the den stairs. She began to walk down them as the music still blasted in her ears. Her eyes caught sight of a game of poker going on between about ten people. She noticed that the one holding the most chips was Toushirou. 'No surprise there,' she thought as she saw Momo cheer behind him and kiss him on the cheek over his shoulder. Rukia sighed and turned around to go back up the stairs.

She took a deep breath and stood in the middle of the huge, open room in front of her. She scanned the entire room and frowned. Then, her eyes were brought to a slightly open sliding glass door. Curiosity took over. She slipped out of the room unnoticed.

The little rock path took her away from the house. It winded down hill and as she looked back up at the house, from where she stood, it seemed to be on the peak of a mountain. She then continued down the slope eventually turning her away from the house completely and leading her to a dead stop. About thirty feet in front of her was a small wooden dock that went out into the lake. This was the same lake she would go to the local park for and write. But standing and leaning against the railing of the dock was a man she could only guess was who she was searching for. She walked up quietly.

"Figured you'd run and hide," she said with a smile as she leaned on the railing to the right of him.

He jumped slightly, but when his eyes landed on her, he melted. "Surprised you found me."

"Me too, actually. Took me awhile," she said honestly as she turned her body to face him. Her elbow rested on the railing beside her. "Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves."

Ichigo let out a disgusted chuckle. "I bet."

She smiled at his attitude, "Come on," she said reaching out with her free arm and resting it on his right bicep. "Somewhere inside Kaien's head he was thinking purely of you."

Ichigo wanted to push her hand off of him. It was completely ice on his bare skin. It chilled his bones and could have caused him to go into some form of shock if he didn't know any better. He wanted to get rid of the intoxicating touch. He wanted to stop it and stop what it was doing to him. It was making things harder for him. Thankfully, she pulled it away herself.

"Yeah, I bet he's thinking that right now while he's with some low class chick," he said was he continued to look forward.

"Well look at it this way," she began leading away from that subject. "All these people are here for you. Look at that mountain of gifts in there!" she exclaimed with a smile.

"They're not here for me. There here because of my name, not me. And you know I could give two shits about what any of those presents are," he explained in annoyance.

Rukia looked at the side of his face in thought. Then she spoke, "You think everyone's here for your name? I'm pretty sure your whole family is in there. I know I saw Karin. Plus all your friends are here. Chad, Orihime, Uryuu, Toushirou, Renji, Tatsuki, Momo. I didn't see Rangiku, but she's probably drunk in there somewhere so it's fine."

Ichigo let out a sigh, knowing what she said was true. Rukia continued though. "I'm here for you too."

He wanted to stab himself in his hopeful heart. He swore his heart had no common sense. It couldn't tell the difference between a friendly remark and one of something else…

He continued to not stare at her. It was too hard. Rukia saw his facial expression relax, which made her smile. "Thanks," he said in almost a whisper.

"So," she began with a grin. "How's it feel to be so old?"

He smirked, "You can tell me in five months."

She hit his arm, "Hey, don't rush it. I'm still enjoying twenty-two."

He rolled his eyes. She then jumped. "Oh!" she yelled in remembering something. She pulled her purse off of her shoulder and went through the bag. He peaked at her from the corner of his eye as he tried to hide his curiosity. She pulled out a small rectangular box with a purple ribbon tied on it. She smiled sweetly at him and held it out to him. "Here."

He looked at it with surprise and hesitancy. She tilted her head childishly to the side, her hair rested neatly on her shoulders. She raised her free hand to brush a few strands behind her ear as her hand still held the box out to him. "Come on," she pushed with a smirk. "It won't bite."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't like presents," he said taking the box out of her hand, but a small smile visible from the side of his face.

"Well you always seem to like mine," she said with a big grin.

"Shut up," he said with his eyes going back to the box. She raised an eyebrow as he stared at it.

"Can you open it already?! I can't take the anticipation!" she yelled with excitement bleeding through.

He jumped at her outburst. "Jesus. Alright, alright," he said shaking his head and pulling off the ribbon. He opened the box and stopped. His hand froze before he could pull it out. He looked over at Rukia slightly, who was smiling sweetly and then looked back down at the possession in the box.

Inside rested a small keychain. It had a faint skull carved into it. It was something he had forgotten about for years until this morning. It was the same toy he had seen in his dream or memory. It was a childish game they created and whoever held this trinket was able to have special powers that they would use to fight monsters. His stomach tightened at the significance of it.

_Feels like I have always known you  
And I swear I dreamt about you  
All those endless nights I was alone  
It's like I've spent forever searching  
Now I know that it was worth it  
With you it feels like I am finally home_

"Like it-" she began to ask but found he had wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her into a close embrace. She was taken by surprise and her palms were against his chest. They remained like that for what seemed like a lifetime. She was able to take in his more than familiar scent as his neck brushed against her cheek. His hold on her was so tight, yet she was perfectly comfortable. "Thank you," he whispered into her ear. The shivers she felt up her spine were surprising.

_Falling head over heels  
Thought I knew how it feels  
But with you it's like the first day of my life_

He pulled away from her and began to reach into the box when Rukia was startled. "Ichigo! What happened to your face?!" she yelled as she instinctively reached up and brushed her fingers against the wound. Her icy touch felt so good against it, but he couldn't help but flinch. She pulled her hand away fast seeing how it must have hurt him.

_Cuz you leave me speechless  
When you talk to me  
You leave me breathless  
The way you look at me  
You manage to disarm me  
My soul is shining through  
Can't help but surrender  
My everything to you_

He panicked. He didn't think about her seeing his face. Luckily he had not shown his entire face to her this entire time they had been talking. Besides, the moon was the only lighting outside at the moment. But she saw it now.

He knew what his brother had told people inside, but Rukia had come late and didn't hear that he had 'gotten himself into a little scrap up with his motorcycle.' Could he tell her the truth? That Shuuhei punched him in the face? Could he end their relationship just by saying that her boyfriend punched him because he was jealous? He probably could. But he knew that he had a conscience. He knew that playing the game that way was hitting below the belt considering he provoked the hit. He hated having his own Jiminy Cricket.

"I got in a little trouble with the bike," he said looking away from her. It was hard to lie to her face.

_I thought I could resist you  
I thought that I was strong  
Somehow you were different from what I've known  
I didn't see you coming  
You took me by surprise and  
You stole my heart before I could say no_

Her eyes widened. "_You_ crashed your bike? But you're so careful on that thing!"

"I know. Weird," he said trying to not press on the subject.

"Were you not wearing a helmet? You're face is the only injury I can see," she said beginning to inspect him more now.

He felt uncomfortable letting her look him over the way she was. "No, I was rushing to get to the store before it closed and I forgot to put it on. Yeah, my face is the only problem."

Rukia smirked, "You could say that again."

Ichigo glared, "Go ahead. Make fun of my injury."

_Falling head over heels  
Thought I knew how it feels  
But with you it's like the first day of my life_

"Can we call it your handicap? It sounds funnier that way," Rukia said with a chuckle. He continued to glare, but Rukia spoke. "So how did you manage to only get your face hurt?"

_You leave me speechless  
When you talk to me  
You leave me breathless  
The way you look at me  
You manage to disarm me  
My soul is shining through  
I can't help but surrender  
Oh no  
My everything to you_

'Come on, Ichigo. Fast thinking! Go!' "Well… I hit a puddle and… skidded off into a curb. I went flying off and my face was the first thing to hit the asphalt." 'Nice job,' he told himself as he mentally wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Rukia huffed and brought her face closer to his to examine the wound better. "What are you do-" he began.

"Shut up," she said roughly as she gripped his chin and gently turned his head to the side so she could get a better look. Ichigo looked at her from the corner of his eyes. Her touch was again crystallizing his skin.

"How scary was it?" she asked softly.

Ichigo felt his heart in his throat. He was lying to her about it and getting false sympathy. It felt wrong, but her tone and touch felt so right. "Not too bad," he said softly in return. "I've had worse."

_You leave me speechless  
(the way you smile, the way you touch my face)  
You leave me breathless  
(it's something that you do I can't explain)  
I run a million miles just to hear you say my name  
Baby_

"You're face is all cut up," she stated sadly with caring eyes. Her hand began to rise.

"Tell me about it," he said with a chuckle.

There was a pause as her hand floated beside his face. "Does it hurt?"

He had to lie again. He couldn't help it. He loved the feeling of her caring about him, but this wasn't a true reason to have her care for him. He deserved that pain on his cheek. "Not really."

_You leave me speechless  
You leave me breathless  
The way you look at me  
You manage to disarm me  
My soul is shining through_

She then gently rested her fingers on the black and blue part of his cheek. It felt so good. It was as if a piece of ice was on his face, numbing the pain. He closed his eyes at the touch. He felt her softly trace her fingers around the cut that was covered by a small bandage. Every sense in his body was taken over by this insignificant act.

_I can't help but surrender  
My everything to you_

She pulled away and looked at him with a stern look. "I told you that bike is dangerous."

Ichigo rolled his eyes despite his attempt to get over her dispersing touch on his skin. "I was careless. I didn't pay attention. That's rare. The bike isn't dangerous. I was just using it dangerously."

Rukia shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're an idiot. You're still defending that thing after it did that to your face."

"Yes I am. I love that bike," he said in defense. He had to defend it. It was innocent.

He looked down at the box still in his hand. He smiled and took the trinket out into his palm. "You've had this for all these years?" he asked looking into her eyes.

She smiled back, beginning to forget about the previous discussion. "Yeah. I figured I had my time with it. Now it's your turn."

He nodded and smirked as he looked back at his gift. "You're right. I do always like your presents."

Rukia smiled bigger, "Don't I know it."

Ichigo laughed, "You just made my day a hell of a lot better. What took you so long?" he asked jokingly.

Rukia sighed, "Sorry. Shuuhei had some special plans for just the two of us. Apparently they fell through and we were spending it home tonight. I lied and told him my editor needed help with my latest chapter. I actually should be going soon."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "You lied?"

Rukia turned to the railing of the dock and looked out onto the lake. "For some reason I felt like he didn't want me to come here tonight. Its weird, but I swear that's what I felt."

Ichigo looked at her and knew Shuuhei was playing the game. 'Keep her away from Ichigo,' he thought in his head of what Shuuhei planned. "Well I'm glad you made it."

Rukia looked back at him with a smirk. "Me too." She leaned away from the railing and looked at her watch. She hated that she had to leave so soon. Being here; just she and Ichigo felt so good. They could just stand here next to each other and enjoy themselves.

She sadly looked up at Ichigo. "I-"

"You gotta go," he said assuming that's what she was going to say. She smiled sadly and nodded.

She stepped closer to him and leaned up and placed her lips against his unhurt cheek. Ichigo's eyes shot open at the cold rush throughout his body. She pulled away after a second or two and looked up into his eyes. She smiled sweetly, "Happy birthday, Ichigo."

He was speechless. He was breathless. He watched her quiet retreat as she began to walk back up the stone path to his house.

He looked back at the lake as he gasped for air. He frowned and closed his eyes as he leaned into the railing. "Damn it!" he yelled through gritted teeth. He looked back up at the lake as he breathed in heavily. He brought his fingers back to his cheek to feel the skin she had kissed.

He then opened his palm to look at the keychain. Then, he gripped it tightly in his fist. "I'm gonna fight for her."

_I can't help but surrender  
My everything to you…_

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

What? He's gonna what?! Oh yeah. He's gonna fight. With his shinigami badge in hand. Sweet. Alright. Tell me what you think. Later


	18. Stranger

**A/N:** Another decently fast update. A little shorter chapter. It is named after "Stranger," by Secondhand Serenade. Happy Birthday, OtakuRukia! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own your hearts. They're mine.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 18: Stranger_

Rukia sat at her desk and typed away as Shuuhei stood at the door. He watched her with a smile on his face as he leaned the side of his head against the doorframe. She was so elegant. He always found that remarkable. She could be wearing pajama shorts, a baggy t-shirt and her hair up in a messy bun and he would still find her to be one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. That's exactly what she was to him at this moment.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked with a smile as he took a step in the room.

She looked at him immediately and smiled. "No, I think I'm fine. Thanks anyway." She gave him a wink and turned back to her laptop.

He loved staring at her and knowing she chose to be with him. All he had to do was continue to say that in his head and all the anger and insecurities would die down. She was with him; not Ichigo. He smiled at that. He truly loved Rukia and would do whatever it took to not lose her. He was going to give it his all when Ichigo was going to fight back, that much he knew.

Then, Rukia's phone flashed on her bed, but the raven haired woman didn't notice. He looked at her and then back at the phone. He quietly picked it up and saw she had one new text message. After taking a few seconds to decide whether or not to do what he was itching to do, he decided. He read it. 'Hey. Call me. I want to see you tonight.' Shuuhei couldn't help but flare his nostrils seeing as it was from Ichigo. He didn't want to give him the opportunity to confess or win her over. It was too dangerous. Shuuhei knew how close the two were and he felt it was _too_ possible for anything to evolve from the currently platonic relationship. So Shuuhei was going to do what was necessary. He turned off the phone and put it in his pocket before walking towards the door.

"Tell me if you need something," he said with a smile at the door. She gave him a "mhm," response and kept typing away.

* * *

"What do you think? Should I call her house?" Ichigo asked eagerly as he sat on the edge of an armchair in his living room. His leg shook nervously.

Uryuu stroked his chin as he sat deep into the large comfortable couch. His other arm was draped over the back of the piece of furniture. "You could… but maybe she's avoiding you," he said, considering the situation and staring off at nothing in particular.

Ichigo's eyes shot towards his friend on his couch. "You think Shuuhei said something?" he asked urgently with his stomach seeming to rise directly into his throat.

Uryuu squinted in concentration, yet still did not meet Ichigo's gaze. "It's possible…"

The orange headed man threw a hand through his hair. "God damn it! Give me a straightforward answer!"

The man wearing glasses finally looked over at his friend. "How am I supposed to do that when I don't know the answers?" he asked with an attitude coming through.

Ichigo groaned and threw his body back against the chair.

"Just call her house already," Uryuu said rolling his eyes. He had spent the past forty-five minutes talking with his friend about his future plan of action. Apparently Ichigo needed some sort of guidance, so he chose to explain his new revelation to Uryuu Ishida. Kaien would have not considered anything and would have either suggested to tell her straight out or Kaien would tell her himself. That was something Ichigo wanted to avoid more than anything. So as a result, he chose to ask Uryuu for help.

Ichigo shot up faster than a freight train. He went to reach for his phone, but then paused. He looked at Uryuu in hesitation. "What if she _is_ avoiding?"

Uryuu just shrugged. "How are you going to know if you just sit here?"

Ichigo gave a single nod and took a deep breath as he found her number and held the phone to his ear. It rang once, twice, thrice, and then it picked up. "Rukia! God, what have you been doing? Have you gotten my messages?"

Uryuu threw a hand over his face and shook his head. "A bit too eager," he mumbled to himself.

"What are you trying to do, Kurosaki?" a much more manly voice than Ichigo expected said in response. "I'm not giving you the chance."

"Shuuhei?" Ichigo asked with attitude dripping in. "This isn't your phone," he said flatly with a frown.

"I sleep here. I can answer it," Shuuhei responded coldly.

"You can't just hide her away from me. That's a bit possessive, don't ya think?" Ichigo glared at his coffee table as he spoke.

"It's working so far, isn't it? When was the last time you talked to her?" Shuuhei asked with a smirk, presuming it was the night he cut Ichigo's cheek open.

"Last night," Ichigo said flatly. He couldn't help a smirk of his own coming to his face. Then he remembered Rukia had lied to him. 'Shit.'

"What?" Shuuhei asked startled. "She worked last night…"

Ichigo already blew it for her. He'd apologize later. At least if her boyfriend confronted her about her lying, then she would know Ichigo had been trying to contact her. She could only be mad at him for so long… or so he hoped.

"She came to my birthday party last night. Geez, Hisagi. Don't you know what your girlfriend is doing?" he added sarcastically. He wanted to laugh at the mere thought of him fuming on the other side of the phone.

Shuuhei frowned deeply. "She said she was meeting with her editor."

"Well the only meeting she did was with me. She saw my face by the way. She was concerned about whether or not my cheek was not in pain. You should have seen the way she touched my skin with her cold, tender fingers," he made it sound so much more than what it actually was, but he did remember how hypnotic the touch felt to him, so it wasn't that far off.

"You son of a bitch," Shuuhei said through teeth as to not draw attention to himself. Rukia wasn't near him, but he didn't want her hearing anything.

"How lovely," Ichigo said with a victorious grin.

Shuuhei suddenly smiled. "But there's something you can't do anything about, Kurosaki," he led in. Ichigo raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he waited for his rival to continue. "The fact that she's upstairs in her bedroom wearing a pair of her very short pajama shorts and an easily removal t-shirt. I could go upstairs right now and she'd be all mine."

Ichigo found himself growling. Uryuu was actually somewhat afraid of what his friend was about to do. He tried to push himself deeper into the couch to avoid getting a table leg through his head after Ichigo smashed it against the wall. His imagination wasn't too far off.

The orange headed man stood up immediately, grabbed the edge of the coffee table he had been glaring at before and flipped it into the wall. It split into two uneven halves. Uryuu raised both eyebrows at the anger running through the young man in front of him.

The crack of the table against the now dented wall was heard on Shuuhei's side of the phone as well. "Wow. Someone sounds excited," he said with a chuckle. "Don't worry. I'm going to keep her company right now. Bye, Kurosaki." And then the phone clicked.

Ichigo found his mouth wide open and his heart beating out of his chest. He gave a wide eyed look to his friend until his body took over. He ran towards the door.

"Ichigo! Where are you going?!" Uryuu yelled as he tried to jump up and follow him, but heard the door slam before he could see it.

* * *

Shuuhei took his stance by her bedroom door. He leaned his shoulder into the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. His held was tilted down slightly, but his eyes remained completely on her. She was still typing. He had been watching her for almost two minutes.

Rukia finally sat back in her chair and let her body drop. She cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders as she let a great amount of air exhale out of her mouth. She spun on her chair and jumped slightly. "Shuuhei! How long have you been standing there?!"

He smirked, "Not too long." He leaned away from the door and began to walk in. His stride seemed to consist of a hidden agenda. Rukia watched him sway towards her with graceful steps. Her eyebrow began to rise slowly.

He took his place behind her and planted his hands on her shoulders. "You need a break. You've been working yourself senseless," he said as he massaged her.

Rukia closed her eyes and gave into the incredible feeling on her tense muscles. She rolled her head along her shoulders and let out a moan. Shuuhei began to grin. "I don't know," she was able to say through her enjoyment. "I still have things to get out of my head and down on paper." He then leaned down to her neck. "Come on," he said with his breath running along her skin. "Let me entertain you," he said as she felt him smile against her skin. He then began to kiss from her shoulder up to her ear.

Rukia began to smile. She turned to look back at him as she tried to stop a chuckle, "Who's the one looking for entertainment exactly?"

He grinned at her, "Caught me." He quickly leaned further down and captured her lips. Slowly as their lips moved to the same rhythm, he moved towards her side. She didn't realize it until he managed to get his hands underneath her and scoop her out of her chair and into his arms. She grabbed on instinctively to prevent from falling.

"Do you _want_ my heart to stop beating?" she said with laughter.

He smirked. "Not just yet," he said as he placed her on her bed with him following on top of her.

"Shuuhei," she managed to get out in between kisses. He was overwhelming her actually. She had no idea where this came from. She wasn't going to lie; it felt good. But she wished she knew what caused it. "I really have," she was interrupted by his lips again. "I really have to finish."

"Later," he allowed himself to say as he began to reach for the bottom of her shirt.

"You have to leave and meet with your manager soon," she was able to say as he moved back to her neck.

"We've got time."

She began to place her hands against his chest when something suddenly grabbed her attention. She heard it once, but hesitated as Shuuhei continued to focus only on her.

Then, she heard it again and again until it became very obnoxious. Rukia pushed her hands against his chest so that she could escape from underneath him. He grabbed her wrist as she began to make her way off the bed, which caused her to turn and look at him.

"Just ignore it. They'll go away," he said pleadingly. Rukia raised an eyebrow, "Whoever is ringing that thing like it's a video game isn't stopping until they get the high score," she said tearing her arm away from him. "Besides, I have to find out what's gotten into you when I get back," she said suspiciously as she straightened her shirt.

She walked out the door and began to jog down the stairs, "I'm coming! I'm coming!" she yelled in irritation.

She finally opened the door with a frown and to her surprise she found Ichigo standing there leaning with both arms holding onto each side of the doorframe. His breathing seemed heavier than usual. She raised an eyebrow. "So you're the child…"

He swallowed and stood up straight. He put on a grin as he saw her completely dressed in the way Shuuhei originally said she was. Nothing looked disheveled. "Hey Rukia."

"You okay?" she asked suspiciously.

He nodded slowly, "Peachy. You?"

She looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "Great… You made it seem like something was urgent by the way you continuously rang the damn doorbell."

Ichigo had to think fast. "Yeah, I, uh," and then it clicked. "You haven't been answering your phones. I thought something might be wrong so I ran over here."

Rukia squinted at him, "I didn't answer my phones? My cell never went off and my house phone only rang once. Shuuhei got it." She then leaned slightly to the side to see behind Ichigo. Her mouth dropped open. "You drove your bike here?!"

Ichigo's eyes went wide as he looked back at it parked down the steps. He looked back at Rukia, who looked royally pissed off. She glared straight into him with her arms now crossed stiffly over her chest. To say he was afraid would have been an understatement.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she growled at him.

He had no idea what to say. He tried to back away, but she took a step closer. "I-"

"What were you thinking?! Do you _want_ to die?" she asked with incredible force.

Ichigo felt as though his entire body shrunk. "Not just yet," he replied sheepishly. He backed down a few steps in an effort to avoid her wrath.

"I can't believe how much of a complete moron you can be!" she yelled taking another step forward. He was now half a foot shorter than her due to his backpedaling down the steps.

Ichigo swallowed, but then noticed Shuuhei smirking as he came into sight deep in the house. Ichigo glared and then looked back at the fuming petit woman.

"I'm sorry! I came to see if you were okay," he said with sad eyes. "I didn't really think about it when I jumped on it and sped off," he added, which was partially true.

Rukia exhaled and looked at him. "Well I'm fine, Ichigo. And I'm glad you are too," she said with a smile coming to her lips. "Thanks for caring if I'm alive or not."

Ichigo smirked, "Right back at ya."

Rukia let a concerned face show. "What? You could have died getting this," she said placing her fingers gently against his healing skin. He grinned internally at what Shuuhei must have been feeling at that moment. He almost let the grin come to his face, but tilted his chin towards the ground to hide it.

Rukia took this as an act of shame. She smiled sadly at him and slid her fingers from his cheek to underneath his chin. She raised it slowly so that he would look back up into her eyes. "So allow me to prevent another near death experience, okay?" she said lightly, holding back a laugh.

Ichigo was completely taken back. He didn't expect that. His heart went soaring. He didn't even have enough energy to argue with her; she had taken it all away. "Okay," he said softly as he continued to stare up into her violet gems.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Shuuhei said coming up to the door. Ichigo could see the distress in his eyes. This only made him smirk as Rukia turned to look at her boyfriend. "Apparently he couldn't get through the phones to contact me, so he thought something was wrong. He came to see if I was okay."

Shuuhei raised an eyebrow, "She could have been out, you know."

Ichigo frowned at him, "She doesn't go out when she knows she has work to do."

Rukia looked between the two men and felt oddly uncomfortable. Ichigo finally realized how long the two of them had been glaring and then looked to Rukia and back at him. "Did I interrupt anything?"

Rukia looked at Shuuhei quickly and then back at Ichigo. She spoke as Shuuhei began to say that he in fact had. "Nope. I was actually about to take a break," she said with a fake smile to avoid any awkwardness. "Why don't you come in and keep me company. Shuuhei has to leave for a meeting soon," she said walking back into the house.

Ichigo winked at Shuuhei as he followed Rukia passed him, further into the house.

Shuuhei looked down at his watch and flared his nostrils. He looked back at up and saw Ichigo settle into an armchair in the living room. He looked to comfortable and Shuuhei knew he had to leave now to be on time. "I actually have to go now," he said sadly when Rukia looked back at him.

"Really? I thought you had more time?" she said somewhat disappointedly.

"No. I was wrong," he said as she walked up to him. She stood about a foot away and stared at him with sorry eyes. He gave Ichigo a glance and saw him watching intently. So Shuuhei took a step closer and wrapped his arms around her waist as he took her in for a passionate kiss. Rukia wasn't really ready and was quite shocked actually.

When he pulled away Shuuhei was surprised to see a blush on her face, but smiled nonetheless. She pulled a few strands of loose hair behind an ear as she looked towards the floor in embarrassment. She didn't really know why she was embarrassed or why she would have rather him _not_ do that. Maybe because she knew Ichigo was watching, but that she wasn't even sure about.

Shuuhei began to walk backwards with a grin. "I'll see you later," he said finally before walking out the door. Ichigo wanted to run after him with the glass picture frame sitting next to him on the table. He grabbed the arms of the chair firmly instead.

Rukia walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. "So," she said uncomfortably as she tried to pretend the little public display at the door didn't happen.

"How about we get out of here?" Ichigo said with all seriousness in his voice and eyes.

Rukia was somewhat speechless from how assertive he was. "W-Where?"

"Anywhere. Doesn't matter," he answered quickly.

"I don't know. I still have to finish a chapter and-"

"Let's go to the park. You can even write there if ya want. I'll just keep you company," he said with a genuine smile.

Rukia thought of a reason not to go. He had just given her a reason to go actually. "Spontaneous as ever," she said sighing as she stood up.

"So what does that mean?" he asked as she walked towards the stairs.

She looked over her shoulder as she continued to move towards the stairs, "That I'm getting changed."

* * *

After arguing about taking Rukia's car instead of Ichigo's bike, they finally left for the park in the 'safe' car.

Ichigo now lied completely down on a blanket with his hands linked together behind his head to act as a pillow. He looked up at the clouds in the sky as the sun poured down onto him. Ichigo was scribbling away into a notebook. He could breathe in the hot summer air and was able to separate it with the smell of the huge glorious lake in front of them. A row boat was passing fifty feet away from them.

"So are ya still not gonna tell me anything about your book?" he asked still looking at the moving clouds. He popped his head up and stared at her. He saw a smile form from the side of her face.

"Not a word." She still had her hair in a messy bun, but somehow she looked so delicate with it. She wore a pair of three-quarter jeans that were rolled up just under her knees. Along with them she wore an off the shoulder white t-shirt.

He huffed as he rested his head back on the ground. "That's some crazy dedication."

"Mhm," she responded as he continued to hear the scratching of the pen against paper.

He let a few minutes pass by before he sat completely up. "I have a question."

"Mhm?" she said without looking up at him and continued to write.

"Why do you think we're friends?" he asked looking out onto the lake with his legs stretched straight out in front of him. His arms were stretched behind him with his palms against the ground, holding him upright.

Rukia stopped immediately and looked up at him. "What?" she repeated. She didn't know why he even said that. She took in his appearance as she tried to understand. He wore jean shorts as his white collar stuck out from underneath his grey t-shirt, which had angel-like wings stretched out across his entire torso.

'Maybe I misheard him,' she finally thought.

He turned his head to stare at her. "I said, _why do you think we're friends_?"

She blinked a few times without giving him a readable expression. "What kind of question is _that_?" she asked in annoyance.

He sighed with irritation, "It's a question I need you to answer."

Rukia put her notebook down on the ground beside her and placed the pen in her hand on top of it. She looked back up at Ichigo. "We've known each other forever. If we didn't like each other before, we're bound to like each other by now."

Ichigo immediately shook his head. "I think you're wrong."

She furrowed her eyebrows at him. "How is there a right or wrong answer?" she asked incredulously.

"Because I thought about that reason before," he said in defense as he stared at the row boat. "I don't think our past has anything to do with us being friends _now_."

Rukia stared curiously at him. "Explain."

_Turn Around  
Turn Around and fix your eye in my direction  
So there is a connection_

He turned to look at her. "The relationship I have with you now is different. It's not based off our past. We met up in an unplanned place at an unplanned time. And you fell into my arms that day with no guarantee that I would be there to catch you."

_Turn Around  
Turn Around and fix your eye in my direction  
So there is a connection_

_Take a look at me so you can see  
How beautiful you are_

She smirked and titled her head. "But you _always_ catch me," she said trying to prove her point.

He shook his head again. "No I don't. I mean- no I _didn't_." He sighed, "A long time ago I let you fall." He frowned sadly, "And that's something I'm trying to make up for."

_You call me a stranger  
You say I'm a danger  
But all these thoughts are leaving you tonight  
I'm broke and abandoned  
You are an angel  
Making all my dreams come true tonight_

Rukia looked down at her lap for a moment. That really did feel like a lifetime ago. 'Maybe it _is_ completely different,' she thought. She looked back up into his passionate amber eyes. "Ichigo, you don't have to make up for anything. That was a long time ago-"

"And I've been regretting it everyday since then," he interrupted confidently.

Rukia frowned sadly. She didn't want to hear that. For years she told herself that she hated him for breaking her the way that he did. She told herself that he was the cause for the pain; the one to blame. Now he had just taken it back, or tried to at least. How could she ever hold that against him again? His voice was strong, but she knew how vulnerable that left him.

_I'm confident  
But I can't pretend I wasn't terrified to meet you  
I knew you could see right through me  
I saw my life flash right before my very eyes  
And I knew just what we'd turn into  
I was hopeing that you could see_

Then, to break through her thoughts, a bang was heard throughout the sky; thunder. Ichigo continued to look only at her; not distracted by the running of couples or families towards their cars or the continuous growth of rain drops. The droplets hit his hair and skin, but he didn't even flinch.

_Take a look at me so you can see_

Rukia began to get up. She picked up her notebook and pen eagerly as the drizzle turned quickly into a downpour. Ichigo stood up slowly and stepped off the blanket as she grabbed it and wrapped her notebook in it. She began to walk away when Ichigo grabbed her wrist. She looked back at him, "Ichigo, we have to get to the car before we're completely soak-"

_You call me a stranger  
You say I'm a danger  
But all these thoughts are leaving you tonight  
I'm broke and abandoned  
You are an angel  
Making all my dreams come true tonight_

"Is it so hard to look past what I've done to you? To see this new person and not picture the same one that tore you apart years ago?" he asked in almost a whisper. The pouring rain almost blocked him completely out.

_You are an angel  
Making all my dreams come true tonight_

She was frozen. The need to escape the torrential downpour was gone. They were already soaked to the core. She turned to face him completely, his hand still gripping her wrist comfortably. "I don't think," she paused as he stared deep into her very soul. She looked away, not being able to take his gaze. Her eyes settled at the waters edge ten feet away. "I don't think that's possible."

_Take a look at me so you can see  
How beautiful you are_

Ichigo's throat closed up as his heart seemed to bury itself deep within his chest. It hurt to hear her say the words he only had nightmares about. He was ready to give up.

_Take a look at me so you can see  
How beautiful you are_

_Take a look at me so you can see  
How beautiful you are_

_Take a look at me so you can see  
How beautiful you are_

Her mind was racing. Where had all of this come from? For the past weeks they had lived as if no past ever existed and then out of nowhere, he brings up that question. Why? And then he asks her if she could ever forget the man he used to be. How ridiculous. She couldn't help but let the corners of her lips curve upwards secretly. "How could I _not_ see you as the same boy that I used to know?"

Ichigo felt his chest take another stab. He knew he should give up. That was his queue. But he had one last thing to do before he was ready to bow down in defeat. He grabbed her chin and turned it towards him. Her eyes stared steadily into his. And then, he leaned in and conquered her lips.

_Your beauty seems so far away  
I'd have to write a thousand songs to make you comprehend how beautiful you are_

_I know that I can't make you stay  
But I would give my final breathe to make you understand how beautiful you are  
Understand how beautiful you are_

The blanket covered notebook dropped to the ground. She didn't know what happened, but before she could guess what he intended to do, he was already kissing her. She took that back. He wasn't _just_ kissing; he was confessing everything to her. His deep, passionate, rhythmic kisses took over every sense in her body. How could she deny something that she yearned for? Something that quenched what she felt was a never-ending thirst? The only part that frightened her was the fact that she wasn't even aware of those facts. But now she found herself glued to him.

_  
You call me a stranger  
You say I'm a danger  
But all these thoughts are leaving you tonight_

Their dripping bodies clung together as one of his hands found their way to the small of her back, pushing her even closer, while the other was placed between her shoulder blades, leaving no skin untouched. One of her arms wrapped around his neck as the other brushed through his wet, orange locks.

_I'm broke and abandoned  
You are an angel  
Making all my dreams come true tonight_

Everything around them stopped. They no longer heard the booming thunder or saw the many people scurrying for cover. They no longer smelt the fresh rainfall scent or felt the trickling of new drops falling down onto them. Nothing else mattered at that moment.

_You call me a stranger_

Their beginning needy kisses turned into slower and more savoring ones. His hand that was between her shoulder blades moved to rest on the side of her neck, while the hand that combed through his hair was now placed against his chest. She could clearly feel his fit body against hers with the help of the rain causing their clothes to stick and reveal every little outline.

_You say I'm a danger_

Then, they leaned back and rested their foreheads against one another as they began to try and catch their breath. His hands rested on her hips as her palms rested against his chest. Water droplets slid down strands of Rukia's hair and dripped onto her skin. Rukia's mind continued to race like before. What was she doing? How did this happen? There was so much to think about; so many questions to ask and answer herself. She pushed away from him slowly.

_You call me a stranger_

Ichigo didn't expect to have gotten this far. By the way their conversation was going he figured he would have been slapped. But he was so very thankful of the real results. His lips tasted like hers; he could remember that warm lavender taste anywhere. How could he forget it?

He felt her push away against his chest and his eyes locked with hers. She stared sorrowfully into him. "Shuuhei," she said sadly.

His hope was diminishing fast. "What does that mean?" he asked, holding onto the strength he still had left.

She shook her head, "I- I don't know. I'm still with him. This is wrong," she said without looking him in the eyes.

"Is it?" he asked eagerly. "Is it wrong?" his voice grew stronger.

She brought her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. "I don't… know anymore," she said shaking her head slightly with indecision.

His hard facial expression softened. "Then find me when you do," he said in a whisper. He began to walk away.

She remained standing there until her mind began to work. She began to walk after him in the pouring rain. "Ichigo! It's raining like hell and I drove. Let me take you home."

He continued to walk. "Suddenly I love the rain. I'll walk," he yelled over his shoulder as thunder boomed overhead.

Rukia stopped and watched him walk until he turned a corner out of sight. She looked back at the rain leaving ripples in the lake and remembered her last visit to the lake while it was raining. She had thought of the opening of her book then. She spoke of raindrops and hearts falling soundlessly. Now that time had passed, she tried to understand if her philosophy still made sense to her.

"_Why is it that no one ever hears a single drop of rain? It is only until a thousand drops fall when they are finally heard. But why is it that when a thousand hearts are falling, that isn't heard? If no one can hear that, how will a single heart be heard?"_

Back when she thought of that, the only heart she had in mind was her own. Now, she finally listened. And she realized that back then, her heart wasn't the only one falling; after all this time, she now heard his calling out to hers.

_You say I'm a danger  
But all these thoughts are leaving you tonight…_

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So, I _owned_ (past tense) your hearts at one point during this chapter. And then you took them back when I gave Rukia a conscience and confusion. I cherished them while I held them though. But you were not dreaming. After 17 chapters of nothing but flashbacks and personal growth, they DID kiss. Hope you're happy, Zapenbits. :) So tell me your thoughts! Later


	19. Everything Changes

**A/N:** This is the next chapter! Woohoo! Alright, its named after "Everything Changes," by Staind. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: n.o.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 19: Everything Changes_

Rukia drove subconsciously. Her mind wasn't on the road, how could it be? It was hard to think of anything else after that. Of course it was dangerous enough without the pouring rain.

She didn't even understand how her arms ended up around his neck; her hands combing through his smooth, rebellious locks. Her body took over as if it had a mind of its own and it scared her. What did that mean? The only thing she could think it meant was something she didn't want to believe.

Before she knew it, she pulled into her long driveway around the quick corner and frowned as she hit the breaks. She pulled out the keys and leaned back in her seat as she stared at the motorcycle in front of her house. She had already acted out this scene before; only back then the vehicle wasn't as shiny. Although, she knew he wasn't inside. This brought back very bad memories that seemed to have chosen their timing very well.

_She was coming back from the restaurant late. She had to take the last table and they weren't exactly great tippers. All she wanted to do was drop onto her bed and not get up. Senior year was over in three weeks and she was more than tired of that ritual. Everything was coming to a close and she was ready to start her future, but part of that future disappeared six weeks ago. She didn't know where and she hadn't received any contact. She had been a secret mess for the past six weeks._

_Rukia turned the corner and was only a few houses away from hers when her eyes caught the familiar sight of a motorcycle. Her heart jumped and she felt that also very familiar lump in her throat. She pulled in and parked her car, but didn't get out. She took the keys out of the ignition and sat back in her seat. What was she going to do? She had no idea. This was more than a sensitive subject and to confront it head on was going to leave her wide open for the incredible pain that was sure to come. But what other choice did she have?_

_She opened the driver's side door and began her slow walk to the door. She stepped inside and noted that it seemed like no one was home, but she knew better. This environment suited him perfectly. In her perspective, there wasn't anyone inside the person she used to know so well. She put her bag and keys down on the kitchen table and continued to walk slowly through her house. It wasn't a mystery; she knew he was going to be waiting for her in her room._

_There were a few times in her life when she was thankful for her brother's long __**business**__ trips and this happened to be one of them. Now that she was labeled as an adult, she no longer had Yoruichi come to babysit her. This giant house was all to herself. _

_She paused before revealing herself in the doorway and took a deep breath. She had to keep it all together. This was a time to be strong._

_Rukia closed her eyes tightly and furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to wash away useless feelings. It had only been a few months ago that she began to hate human emotions. They were so ruthless and invading. She liked having control over herself and it seemed that she lost that battle when the one she had total faith in began to fall._

_She took one final deep breath and stepped into the doorway. Her violets rested on what she expected. He sat on the edge of her bed, his back hunched over with his forearms resting on his thighs and his fingers interlocked between his knees. His head was bowed down to the floor. _

_Rukia just stood there with her hand resting against the doorframe. The sad expression on her face was all she was able to allow. She would get rid of it in seconds._

_Then, he looked up and his amber eyes shined in the dark room. The stare was silent, but nothing less than intense. He was there for her and nothing else. His wait was over. "Hey," he said softly._

_Rukia took a deep breath from hearing the sound of his voice. Why did he have to have such an effect on her? Why couldn't he be just some normal guy that wasn't worth any of this torment? She gripped the doorframe firmly for a moment and then let it go. 'He isn't some guy… I love him,' she admitted to herself and then focused on the present._

"_What are you doing here, Ichigo?" she said with a frown._

_He stood up from the bed and began to take a step closer to her. "I'm here-"_

_Rukia held up her hand to stop him. "Don't. Just- just stay there," she said exhaling a great amount and walking into her room so she no longer lingered in the doorway. She kept her distance._

_Ichigo frowned sadly. "I'm here to tell you I'm back. I figured you'd be worrying," he finished._

_Rukia's mouth fell slightly ajar. She blinked a few times. "That's it? To tell me you're back?" She began to smile bitterly, "That's great," she began nodding. "Well if that's it, you can go now." Her glare became more prominent, "At least you told me you're back."_

_Ichigo began to take a step towards her with his mouth open about to speak. Her hand stopped him again with her jaw clenched and nostrils slightly flared. He stopped and shook his head. "See, I knew you'd be worried… and pissed," he said more to himself than her_

_Rukia looked at him incredulously. "What the hell did you expect, Ichigo?! That's great and all that you came to tell me you're back, but why don't you start with telling me that you were leaving! This is the third time now!"_

_He let his head drop back so he looked up at the ceiling. He didn't want to deal with this. He looked back at her. "What can I do to make you happy because right now I feel like whatever I say I'm going to fail?"_

_Rukia felt her anger dropping and those terrible emotions that she hated began to take over. She looked away from him to hold onto herself. She bit down hard and then looked back at him with sad violet eyes. "Who are you?" she said weakly. She swallowed to get her voice back. "You would have never said something like that before." She shook her head, "You would never __**not**__ care about something like this."_

"_Do you want me to say I'm sorry? Fine! I'm sorry! I have a lot of things going through my mind lately! Don't expect me to think straight!" he yelled back._

"_What's 'lately,' Ichigo? How about the past seven months?! You haven't been thinking straight for seven months!" Rukia yelled back, biting back the tears._

"_Do you expect me to be happy?! My past was thrown back into my face and you expect me to live like nothing happened?!"_

"_No, I expect you to live! Look at yourself! You're a mess!" she paused. Her voice became softer. "__**I'm**__ a mess."_

_Ichigo's gaze calmed as he watched her. She was falling apart in front of him. He expected her to be angry, but not sad to the point of tears. He didn't understand. He knew she was holding back the urge to cry. He could see that by the way she reached across her waist and grabbed her other wrist. _

"_What's wrong?" he asked emotionless. Actually, he demanded it._

_Rukia let out a laugh as she avoided his gaze. "Nothing. Everything's __**great**__."_

"_Why are you so upset? It can't be totally about me leaving without telling you. There's something else…" he said trying to read into her._

_She still refused to look at him. She shook her head with another laugh. "You really have no idea, do you?"_

"_Rukia," he said trying to get her to look at him. He frowned as she still did not turn to meet his eyes. "Damn it, Rukia! Look at me!" he yelled, but she still refused._

_He quickly marched over to her and turned face with his palm on her cheek. Her eyes opened wide from surprise, but once they met his, she frowned deeply. His hand dropped to his side, seeing how it seemed unwelcomed._

"_What do you want from me? Can you tell me for once instead of dancing around it and assuming that I already know?! Because let me tell you something, I don't know! I can't figure this kind of shit out, Rukia!" he yelled pulling at his hair. _

"_What do I want? What do __**I**__ want?! How do you __**not**__ know?! Are you really that blind?!" she yelled with tears finally streaming down her face, but she was still yelling strong and staring him dead in the eyes now._

"_Damn it, Rukia! Just tell me! Tell me!" he begged with his hands now placed on the sides of her shoulders._

_She brought her hands to his chest and gripped his thin black t-shirt into her fists as she bent her head down to the floor. "You can't keep doing this to me. If you're going to keep leaving… stop coming back." She was silent for a moment, "You've changed so much…"_

"_Rukia…" he said softly, and she knew he still did not understand. "Please tell me."_

_She looked up into his eyes and saw that they were filled with water that was about to flood. It was an emotion she didn't think she could get out of him. She then spoke softly. "I want you to love me again."_

_Ichigo frowned with confusion. "I don't love you?"_

_Rukia tasted her salty tears on her lips. "You can't plan out decisions and __**not**__ tell that one person you care for what you've decided. You can't lock that one person out of your life and still care that greatly about them." She shook her head as she held back a sob. "It doesn't work that way."_

"_Rukia, I-" he began to interrupt._

"_You might not realize it now, but you will eventually. You've fallen out of love," she said as the pain engulfed her chest. 'And left me still loving you,' she thought with the aching growing stronger._

Rukia closed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows. 'How am I still able to feel that pain?' she thought. 'It doesn't make any sense.' She opened her eyes and watched the rain slam against the windshield; blocking her clear view of the beautiful vehicle that would sooner of later have to be picked up by the owner. She groaned as she opened the door and ran for her house.

It was stupid really. She ran for the front door and entered even though she was already completely soaked. Her mind flashed to herself kissing him in this state; their clothes sticking to their bodies as they allowed themselves to collide with each other. She shook her head of the image, tossed her keys and the blanket covered notebook on a table next to the door and walked slowly up the stairs to her room.

Shuuhei wasn't going to be home for hours and she knew this was a good time to understand what was going on in that mind of hers.

As soon as she entered her bedroom, she took off her shirt. Her memories took over again.

_She shoved him up against a wall and smirked as he groaned in pain. His eyebrows furrowed and he opened his mouth to speak his mind, but she covered his lips with hers. He easily forgot about it._

_His hands placed on her back pressed her closer as he smelt her lavender shampoo. Rukia then pushed away from him with her palms against his chest. He opened his eyes with surprise as he felt her lips disappear from his. He looked at her with question as she took a step or two backwards._

_She grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it over her head and onto the floor in one quick movement. Ichigo's jaw dropped open as she stepped slowly up to him. He placed his hands on her shoulders and let them glide slowly down her arms until he moved his fingers to her bare waist and slid them to her back. His breath hitched. He shook his head, "Wait, wait. We can't," he said with regret as he looked to her closed bedroom door. He couldn't believe he was telling a beautiful girl, who was standing in front of him in her bra, to stop._

_Rukia smiled and shook her head. "Byakuya's away. Its only you and me," she said with her eyes staring straight into his as she played with the bottom of his shirt._

_Ichigo grimaced. "You mention his name at a time like this?" Rukia rolled her eyes. Ichigo looked back into her eyes with a serious gaze. "Are you sure?"_

_Rukia smiled sweetly at him and then leaned up to place her lips gently on his. She leaned back down to stare up into his ambers again. Ichigo then reached down and pulled his shirt over his head to the ground. He then smirked as he quickly bent down and picked her up with her knees bent over one arm and her waist supported by the other. She wrapped her arms around his neck instinctively. "Ichigo!" _

_He began to laugh as he carried her bridal style towards her bed and-_

"No!" she yelled in frustration. "No, no, no!" she yelled again as she bent down and picked up the wet shirt from the floor. She threw it in her hamper and let out an exasperated yell. "Ah! Do _not_ think about that! What has gotten into you, Rukia?!" she yelled at herself.

She decided the best course of action was to change quickly. She went to grab some pajamas from a drawer but her house phone rang. She groaned and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Rukia! Why aren't you answering your cell?" Rangiku interrogated.

"I don't know where it is. It must be on silent somewhere," she answered effortlessly.

"Come to the café in an hour. A few of us are getting a cup of coffee together. Well, the few that actually answered their phones. Stupid snowboarders and musicians…" she grumbled. "Momo and Toushirou can't make it because their doing some wedding planning. And Renji's meeting with his manager."

"Uh, yeah. Whatever. I'll be there," she said knowing that Rangiku would drive over to her house and drag her out if she said she wasn't going to go. She could have lied, but she felt like her state of mind would have given it away.

"Good! See you then!"

"Yeah, bye."

Rukia frowned. She closed the drawer that held her comfortable pajamas and walked towards the closet.

As soon as she stood in a pair of dry jeans and a blue tank top, she flopped down on her bed. 'Okay. Let's think this through. He's your best friend. No one understands you like he does. He's… attractive,' she allowed herself to think. 'Now,' she began the flip side. 'We've tried this before. It failed. It left me hurting for way too long and apparently I can still feel the pain,' she reasoned after remembering the ache in her chest as she saw the motorcycle parked in front of her house earlier.

She stared at the ceiling with her limbs sprawled out in all directions. 'How do I know if I feel the same way? I totally blocked that idea from my mind the moment I woke up from that incredible champagne hangover and saw him sitting in my chair. He was reading my book…' She shook her head. 'Stay focused.'

Then, her mind clicked. 'I'm already in a great relationship. He can't just expect me to drop Shuuhei because he has feelings for me. Shuuhei loves me. And I… love Shuuhei.'

She looked at the clock and jumped up. 'Shit. I better get going.'

Rukia didn't even realize how long she had been thinking about it. She made her way downstairs, grabbed her keys on the small side table and exited.

She closed the door behind her and looked straight in front of her down the steps. "Jesus!" she yelled as her eyes locked with the motorcycle. 'That thing is haunting me.'

She jogged over to her car as the rain was still coming down hard. 'How do I even know he's sure about how he feels?' she thought starting the car and turning around down her drive way.

She started to pull out, 'He really thinks he's-' She hit the breaks as a car honked coming around the turn. "Shit!" she yelled as her heart raced. "How did I forget about that damn turn?" She took a deep breath and then began to pull out again. 'Pay attention to the road, Rukia.'

* * *

"So you and Renji, huh?" Kaien said with a smirk.

Tatsuki looked down at her cup of coffee and took a sip as her eyes turned to look out the window next to her. Kaien laughed. "I'll take your silence as a 'yes'."

"Are you serious? When did that happen?" Rangiku asked eagerly.

Kaien just smiled as Tatsuki continued to avoid eye contact. "At Ichi's party last night. Saw them as I did my rounds."

Orihime and Uryuu nodded in agreement. "What? How did I miss that?" Rangiku said with disappointment.

"Maybe because you were dancing drunk the whole night?" Uryuu said with a knowing smile.

Rangiku just grinned and shrugged. "Makes sense then."

"Hey, where's Chad?" Tatsuki finally spoke up.

"Oh look who wants to talk now," Kaien said with a glint in his eye.

She rolled her eyes and waited for her answer. Uryuu responded. "He's out of town."

"Training already?" Tatsuki asked curiously.

Orihime giggled. "Nope. He went back to Karakura with Karin."

Everyone looked at her with wide eyes except for one. "_Karin_?" Uryuu asked. His friend hadn't told him that part.

"Mhm," she said with a big smile.

"When did _that_ happen?" Rangiku repeated her earlier question.

"Ichigo's party," Orihime answered happily.

Kaien noticed one of them staring out the window silently as her fingers traced the rim of the coffee cup. "Rukia?"

Her back straightened as she turned to see everyone now staring at her. "Yeah?"

"You've been awfully quiet. What's up?" Kaien asked with furrowed brows and a concerned face.

She put on her best smile, "Nothing. Just thinking about my book."

"How's that coming along?" Rangiku asked, moving her elbow onto the table so that her palm could prop up her chin.

Rukia took a sip of her coffee. She nodded slowly. "Good. Good. Stressful at times, but good. Good."

Kaien frowned, "Are you sure you're fine? You said the word, 'good,' one too many times in that last sentence."

Rukia looked him in the eyes, "I'm fine, Kaien."

He laughed as he leaned back in his seat. "Damn, I wish Ichigo was here. He'd be able to get it out of ya."

_If you just walked away  
What could I really say?  
Would it matter anyway?  
Would it change how you feel?_

She felt a cold shiver run up her spine making her sit straight up. She immediately looked around at everyone and saw two of them had seen this reaction; Uryuu and Kaien. Orihime was putting sugar in her coffee, while Tatsuki texted away on her phone. Rangiku was ordering another drink at the counter.

_I am the mess you chose  
The closet you cannot close  
The devil in you I suppose  
'Cause the wounds never heal_

Her eyes were wide as Kaien and Uryuu both raised an eyebrow at her. She opened her mouth to speak and found words come out of her mouth without knowing that's what she intended to say. "I've got to get going. I have a lot of work to do," she lied once again as she stood up out of her chair. "I'll see you guys," she said, receiving waves from everyone except for the two who gave her curious glares.

_But everything changes  
If I could  
Turn back the years  
If you could  
Learn to forgive me  
Then I could learn to feel_

Rukia looked over to the counter, "Gotta go, Ran." The blonde waved in return.

She opened the door and after noticing the rain had stopped, she began to walk down the sidewalk to her car; her eyes on her feet. 'They suspect something,' she thought to herself as she felt two hands on the sides of her shoulders. She had almost run into someone. She looked up and felt her voice disappear.

_Sometimes the things I say  
In moments of disarray  
Succumbing to the games we play  
To make sure that it's real_

"Woa, there," Ichigo said with a hidden smile. He let his hands drop and tilted his head to the side as she seemed to be frozen. His amber eyes were having an effect on her and she realized she didn't quite like it.

She opened her mouth three times and all three times she didn't know what to say. She forced her eyes away from his and began to walk around him, "Excuse me."

_But everything changes  
If I could  
Turn back the years  
If you could  
Learn to forgive me  
Then I could learn to feel_

Ichigo's expression grew shocked. He turned around quickly and saw her power walk towards her car. He felt like a weight had been dropped on his shoulders. Or maybe it was an anvil on his head. Either way he felt his feet glued to that spot. 'What have I done?'

He looked down at his feet and felt that same pain from years ago. It was an echo that bounced off the walls of his hollow chest; the place where his heart had been long buried. The sound resonated throughout him and burned every inch of him.

He began to turn and saw the window next him. He saw his friends staring at him. Three completely confused, while Uryuu and Kaien both looked with wide eyes. They jumped up out of their seats at the same time. "Go after her!" they yelled simultaneously.

Ichigo looked at them with questioning eyes for a second and then furrowed his eyebrows. He turned and ran down the sidewalk. He heard the sound of her car start. He watched as she pulled out of her parking spot and then quickly made his move.

_When it's just me and you  
Who knows what we could do  
If we can just make it through  
The toughest part of the day_

Rukia hit the breaks hard. Her heart must have stopped because it was beating for the extra few seconds that it missed. She looked incredulously at the man in front of her. He stood in front of the car with his palms on the hood of the car. His eyes stared directly through the windshield at her.

She undid her seatbelt after having a bit of trouble due to her patience and then threw open the door and stepped out. "Ichigo! Do you have a death wish?!"

_But everything changes  
If I could  
Turn back the years  
If you could _

_Learn to forgive me_

He leaned off the car and walked towards her. "Maybe I do."

"What!" she demanded. 'What could he possibly want?'

"Well first off you don't have to ignore me! I don't deserve that," he said in return.

"I just- you surprised me!" she stuttered.

"In a bad way apparently…" he said looked away from her at nothing in particular.

_  
Then I could  
Learn how to feel  
Then we could_

_Stay here together  
And we could_

"No!" she yelled without thinking. "I- I just-" she didn't know what to say for the millionth time.

"What do you want from me?" she asked quietly with soft eyes.

He stopped a foot away from her and stared deep into her violet eyes. "I want you to love me again."

_Conquer the world  
If we could  
Say that forever  
Is more than just a word_

Rukia's mouth dropped. She couldn't believe her ears. Apparently he was sure of how he felt, but that wasn't what took her breath away. It was the fact that this conversation already happened years ago, only it was reversed now.

_If you just walked away  
What could I really say?  
And would it matter anyway?  
It wouldn't change how you feel_

He gently reached up and shut her mouth with his hand pushing up under her chin. He left his hand there. "You might not realize it now, but you will eventually," he said with a gentle smile across his face. He removed his hand and began to walk backwards until he completely turned around and walked towards the café with his hands in his pockets.

She was speechless. How did he manage to do it again? She got back in her car, still shocked.

* * *

When Rukia stepped into her house all she wanted to do was take a nice hot bath. It was amazing how stressful the day had been. When she thought about it, she couldn't believe that she had made out with her first love in the pouring rain only hours ago. It was mind blowing.

She made her way towards the kitchen for some sort of drink. If there was some champagne, she might just let herself loose for the night. As she walked in that direction she suddenly felt guilty. She realized how Ichigo must have felt to have been totally ignored like that. It wasn't the best way to handle the situation, but she just didn't know how to deal with him at the moment. It was so complicated.

When she entered the room, she saw Shuuhei drinking a beer at the island. "Oh, hey," she said with light surprise. There were too many surprises today.

"Hey," he said taking drink. He watched her carefully as she searched through the fridge. Then, he spoke. "You lied to me."

Rukia's eyes widened. Her heart began to pound. How could she have lied? She hadn't even had enough time to tell him about it yet! So what if she wasn't sure if she was going to tell him yet?

She turned to look at him. She tried to look calm. "What?"

"You told me you were meeting with your editor the other night," he stated. "You lied."

"I-" she cut herself off. She frowned sadly. "How'd you find out?"

"Does it matter?" he asked with a frown.

Rukia decided not to answer that. "It seemed like you were so against me going. I couldn't tell you. But I had to go. He's my best friend."

He shook his head and let out a disgusted chuckle. "It's so ridiculous."

She squinted at him. "Are you… jealous?"

He looked at her incredulously. "How could I not be? You spend so much damn time with him and you used to be in love with him!"

"Keywords: used to! I love you now!" she defended herself.

"Do you?" he asked in a straightforward manner.

"I'm with you, aren't I?" she asked incredulously.

"I don't know. You just spent the evening with him, so I don't know."

"What does that even mean?" she asked getting annoyed.

"You tell me. What'd you do?" he asked curiously.

She glared and then knew it was coming. She had to tell him. "We went to the park."

He nodded. "That's it? Just sat there?"

She shook her head, "This is ridiculous." Her eyes settled on his again, who was still waiting for an answer. She set her jaw and gave him a bitter smile, "He sat with me as I wrote." She thought and then added more, "We talked a bit."

He looked at her for another moment. "Okay," he said with finality.

Rukia looked down at the kitchen island and frowned. "And then we kissed."

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ouch. Don't throw anything at me. That's definitely a nice cliffy for you. Sometimes you need one though. :) So hope you liked. Tell me about it. Later


	20. Split Screen Sadness

**A/N:** I just want to say this is the longest story I've ever written. Kind of excites me, not gonna lie. So yay for me! Haha. The cliffhanger last chapter killed some people, so I'm reviving you now with this not so long wait. Chapter named after, "Split Screen Sadness," by John Mayer.

Disclaimer: …

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 20: Split Screen Sadness_

Shuuhei's eyes locked onto her. She was looking down at the kitchen island, avoiding his gaze on purpose. He felt his teeth clench together. His heart suddenly felt weaker than he thought it could possibly ever feel. The lips he thought were meant for him alone had touched someone else's. He didn't know what, but something seemed to shatter as he stood staring at the woman he loved with all his heart.

Rukia finally looked up and saw Shuuhei was staring down at his beer bottle with his palms placed down on the island on both sides of the bottle. His expression wasn't angry like she thought. The feeling she had began to get worse seeing him react in this unexpected way. He looked like he was about to crumble. "Shuuhei," she said softly.

He took a deep swallow and furrowed his eyebrows as he felt the world spin around him. He had lost. He felt it in his bones. He had lost her that simply. Ichigo had probably decided less than twenty-four hours ago that he was going to fight for her and he had already won. Was it really that impossible to be the one Rukia chose? He closed his eyes to push back the misery.

Rukia reached across the island and placed a hand on his while his eyes were closed. His eyebrows furrowed more. Why was she trying to comfort him? She was the one that made him feel this way. He couldn't take her contact anymore, so he slowly slid his hand out from underneath hers.

He opened his eyes and met her regretful eyes. She felt guilty, which he believed she should. He had one question that he needed to know the answer to. So he spoke so softly it sounded more like a whisper. "Do you love him?"

Rukia's mouth dropped open and her eyebrows flew to the ceiling. "Do I lov-" she began to question him.

"You know what I said, Rukia," he said callously.

She frowned and began to shake her head, "What are you trying to prove, Shuuhei? What do you want to happen here?"

"Why can't you just answer the question?" he asked with hurt eyes; his voice showing impatience.

She threw her hands in the air and began to walk out of the kitchen. She turned around before leaving the room. "Give me an answer!" Shuuhei finally yelled.

She stormed up to the island again and slammed her palms on it. She leaned over it to him, "I don't know!" She bowed her head and shook it. "I have no idea," she whispered with sadness in her voice.

Shuuhei took his eyes off of her. He didn't know how to go about this. No matter how much it hurt to hear her say that, he hated seeing her upset. And he hated himself for that.

Rukia picked up her head and looked at him with watery eyes. Her voice was strong. "I know that I do love you, Shuuhei."

He turned to meet her eyes again. "You just don't know how much," he assumed.

She couldn't say anything in response. It was true. She didn't know how much. If she did love Ichigo in that way, which she still wasn't sure about, she didn't know if that love out powered her love for the man in front of her.

He looked at her in a way that told her she had just inflicted pain. "What can I do to convince you that you belong with me?" he asked softly.

Rukia felt the waterworks coming. He was being so gentle and so kind about her possibly having feelings for someone else. She didn't deserve that. She wanted him to get angry. She wanted him to break something; anything. Before she could think anymore about it, the tears came streaming down. "I- I don't know," she confessed through a sob.

He frowned at her reaction. He couldn't help himself. His instincts told him to go over to the woman he loved and comfort her when she was crying. And that's exactly what he did.

She felt his arms wrap tightly around her. His lips touched the top of her head with a tender kiss. She cried even more from this. "Please stop," she asked through another sob.

"Why?" he asked softly; not budging an inch.

"I don't deserve this."

"What?" he asked slightly confused.

"You. Comforting me. It's not right. I hurt you," she said with a disgusted laugh through tears.

"But I was taught to never watch a lady cry," he said with a sad smile.

Rukia couldn't help but laugh lightly at his humor. "Why are you such a good guy?" she asked resting her ear on his chest as she sniffed.

"I'm not," he defended himself. "I'm just _that_ in love with you," he stated casually.

She felt that guilty pain again and frowned as the tears started to die down.

"Can you answer another question for me?" he asked, causing her to pull away from him and look up with puffy eyes. He took that as approval. "Did you kiss him or did he kiss you?"

She swallowed. "He kissed me."

He gave a single nod. "Okay," he said walking out of the kitchen. She watched in confusion and then chased after him.

"Where are you going?" she asked somewhat panicked.

"I'm going to have a little talk with Kurosaki," he said with anger coming into play. He reached for the door handle and let himself outside.

Rukia eyes bulged. "Wait! No! Shuuhei!" she yelled running out the door after him. He was already pulling out of the driveway. "Shit!" she yelled as she ran for her car to follow. She growled as she passed that motorcycle parked in front still.

* * *

She tried to follow close behind him, but they got separated at a traffic light. By the time she pulled up to Ichigo's house, Shuuhei seemed to already be inside. She prayed nothing happened as she parked her car.

She ran to the front door and was about to knock when she saw that the front door was already slightly open. She pushed it lightly and watched as it opened on its own. A sound came from the living room.

She ran in and saw Ichigo standing inches from Shuuhei. Both had their chins raised up as their eyes shot lasers into the others. "You know it's illegal to barge into someone's house, Hisagi," Ichigo said with a slight smirk.

"Fuck you, Kurosaki. What kind of game are you playing?" he said through gritted teeth.

Ichigo smiled even more. "All's fair in love and war," he mused.

"Forcing yourself on her isn't fair, asshole!" Shuuhei growled in his face.

Ichigo squinted curiously. "Forced myself?" He gave a glance towards Rukia who was biting her lip. "Is that what she told you?" he asked with the same hurt she saw in Shuuhei's eyes earlier. His ambers rested with her for another moment before turning back to meet his rival.

"I never said he forced me, Shuuhei!" she defended Ichigo to avoid any unnecessary violence.

"If making out is forceful…" Ichigo mumbled in Shuuhei's face.

Shuuhei's fist clenched as the other grabbed a handful of Ichigo's shirt, "Shut the hell up or I'll give you another fucked up face!"

Ichigo glared with a smile playing around the corners of his lips. "Temper, temper."

Rukia frowned. "What?" she said in realization. The two men froze and looked towards the woman they loved dearly. She walked up to them and rested her hand on the forearm of the hand grabbing Ichigo's shirt. Shuuhei dropped his arm in response.

She looked up at Shuuhei with an incredulous glare. "You gave him that?!" she yelled pointing to Ichigo's cheek. It was still healing.

Shuuhei stuttered to find words. "He was suggesting things!" he was finally able to say.

"What kind of things could he have _suggested _that would make you punch him?!" she asked in amazement.

"That he was making you happy when I wasn't around!" he yelled back in defense.

She opened her mouth in shock. She quickly turned to look at Ichigo. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Both of his eyebrows rose from the unexpected turn of events. He then stared into her eyes with determination. "It means exactly that. It's not my fault if he read into it."

She glared, "Bullshit. I know you, Ichigo. You were _trying_ to piss him off." She turned back to Shuuhei. "But you didn't have to hit him!"

"I was afraid of losing you to this pompous ass!" he said waving his hand in Ichigo's direction.

"You didn't have anything to be afraid of," Rukia said calmly. "But now you do." She shook her head. "I can't believe you hit him because of what he said."

"I was defending you!" Shuuhei yelled in return.

Ichigo looked at him with annoyance. "Bullshit. I wasn't the one going on about how she was mine. You made her sound like your favorite stuffed animal. 'I'm not going to let you take her from me… blah blah blah,'" Ichigo mimicked.

Rukia looked at Shuuhei with shock. "Is that what I am to you? An item?"

"No!" Shuuhei yelled. He looked up at Ichigo with burning in his eyes. "I was just trying to make it clear that you weren't his," he said through gritted teeth.

Then, he felt it. She delivered an uppercut under his jaw. He flew back into the wall and slid down it. He held his jaw with both hands and looked at her with question.

Her nostrils flared as she sent a death glare at him on the floor. "I'm not something to be owned," she spat at him. "We're over. You're not who I thought you were," she said with conclusiveness.

She turned towards Ichigo who was taken aback by her action. He didn't know what to say. She frowned sadly as she walked closer to him. "You lied to me."

He didn't even try to defend himself like Shuuhei did. He frowned with guilt and gave a nod.

She shook her head. "If my boyfriend hits you; _my best friend_, you're supposed to tell me; regardless on whether you provoked him or not. You lied to me for your sake, not mine."

Ichigo was going to argue with her, but then he held back. He didn't realize it before, but she was right. He was being selfish yet again. He somehow turned it around in his head to justify his actions.

Her frown deepened as her voice became weaker. She felt herself begin to get sick. The two men that she thought meant the most to her let her down in a way they would never know. "You even made me worry about you. You made me care whether or not you killed yourself on that damn motorcycle!" her voice grew louder again, but she brought a hand to rest on her stomach. She felt disgusted to the point where she was going to throw up.

Her eyes locked with his and then she slapped him nice and hard on his already injured cheek. He grimaced and brought a hand to cover it. He had nothing to say. He was going to take what he deserved. That was something he had learned to do.

She took a step backwards so she was at equal distance between the two. "You two fought _over_ me," she said with pain growing throughout her body. She was so tired. "You didn't fight _for_ me."

She looked towards the floor and closed her eyes tightly. She then looked back up. "I'm done." And then, she walked out.

Ichigo stood there with his injured cheek stinging. He didn't even care that Shuuhei continued to sit no more than eight feet away. They both lost. It was over without a victor. Ichigo knew now that it was probably for the best. She was right. They fought over her. It wasn't even a question. They focused on taking her away from the other instead of just winning her love. How stupid could he have been? He wanted to run away; escape from everything. But he knew he couldn't. There was no where he could run to. He would always be reminded of her.

He took a few steps and sat down in his recliner. He saw Shuuhei begin to stand up from the corner of his eye, but didn't bother to give him any attention. Within seconds, he was walking out of his front door.

Ichigo rested his head back into the chair. The silence was perfect. Not only was everything in his house quiet, but his thoughts were completely gone. He had nothing to think about or to say. His phone rang in his pocket. He slowly reached for it without moving his eyes from the air he was lost in. He answered it without looking to see who it was. "Hello?" he said emotionless.

"Hey."

* * *

_And I don't know where you went when you left me but  
Says here in the water you must be gone by now  
I can tell somehow_

Rukia drove home with nothing but tears falling down her cheeks. She was a complete mess. She loved them both and they both ended up hurting her. And to top it off it left her feeling nauseous. She was going home to let herself crumble to pieces and she was going to hide away until she was able to pick herself up again. She only wished someone would be there for her. Sadly, her best friend was unwelcomed.

_One hand on the trigger of a telephone  
Wonderin' when the call comes  
Where you say it's alright  
You got your heart right_

Driving from Ichigo's house to hers was a blur. She could barely remember the trip from her car to the stairs, where she collapsed. She didn't have the power to get all the way to her bedroom, so the first five steps are where she stayed.

She cried because she needed to. Her emotions were all over the place. Her mind and body were confused. She had enough of it all. It was time for her to let herself out and this was the way to do. So that, plus the events that occurred minutes ago made it a pool party where she sat.

_Maybe I'll sleep inside my coat and  
Wait on your porch 'till you come back home  
Oh, right  
I can't find a flight_

It was rare when she ever cried alone. Usually she never let herself be this weak. It was always someone else's doing that caused her to break. And that someone was always there to hold her as she cried her eyes out. She just wanted to be held…

_We share the sadness  
Split screen sadness_

The sobs were surprisingly loud, but it didn't matter to her. It didn't matter to her that her hair was in her face from being bent over on the steps. It didn't matter to her that her eyes were red from the amount of tears she had shed that day or the fact that her hand was incredibly sore from punching her ex-boyfriend with all her might. What _did_ matter was that she lost two people that she cared deeply about in less than ten minutes.

_Two wrongs make it all alright tonight  
Two wrongs make it all alright tonight  
Two wrongs make it all alright tonight  
Two wrongs make it all alright tonight_

She stayed like that for quite some time. It didn't feel that long to her though. The sobbing ended and now she just rested there enduring the torture of human emotions. She was falling deep into a crack in the earth and she tried her best to take it like a champ. The tears continued to trail down her face without being able to stop them.

_"All you need is love" is a lie 'cause  
We had a love but we still said goodbye  
Now we're tired, battered fighters_

"Hey," a voice came a foot or two away from the stairs. She sniffed and raised her head to look at the man standing in front of her. His height matched evenly with her. Ichigo's face was caring as his hands rested lazily in his jean pockets.

_And it stings when it nobody's fault cause there's  
Nothing to blame At the drop of your name  
It's only the air you took and the breath you left_

She groaned at the sight of him. "How did you even get here?" she asked in annoyance.

Ichigo ignored her tone and remained calm. "The door was practically wide open."

She glared, "No. How did you get here? Your bike is out front."

"Same way I got to the café earlier."

"You walked?!"

"Yeah," he answered, seeing no big deal.

_So maybe I'll sleep inside my coat and  
Wait on your porch 'til you come back home  
Oh, right  
I can't find a flight_

"The café is down the road from your house. This isn't even down the road from the road from the road from the road from the road from your house!" she said in disbelief.

He shrugged. "I needed the forty-five minute walk. I've been slackin' on my exercise," he added with a playful smile. She let her gaze fall away from him and shook her head with a sniff.

_So I'll check the weather wherever you are  
Cause I wanna know if you can see the stars tonight  
It might be my only right_

His smile fell as he continued to stare caringly at her. "You're not doing so hot, huh?"

She looked at him quickly and glared. "Ya think?" she said sarcastically.

"Well I'm just thankful you haven't kicked me out," he said casually.

"Yet."

He let a chuckle out and then it fell silent again. "I know I deserve you to hate me and have you throw things at me until I leave," he began and paused.

_We share the sadness  
(two wrongs make it all alright tonight)  
Split screen sadness  
(two wrongs make it all alright tonight)  
We share the sadness  
(two wrongs make it all alright tonight)  
Split screen sadness  
(two wrongs make it all alright tonight)_

"But I came here not because I love you in a very un-platonic way; but because I knew you'd be hurting." He paused again and then continued. "I came here because you're my best friend. I don't want you to go through this by yourself," he said with determined eyes.

That was the first time she heard him say that he actually loved her. There was no way that she would have missed that. She sniffed again, "Why do you care now? You didn't seem to care when you lied to me."

He sighed. "You're right," he agreed without a doubt. "I didn't want you to know how I felt yet. I was afraid and did what first came to mind." He paused once again. "I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

Rukia huffed and rolled her eyes. "It's not like you committed murder or anything. You just lied to me about something important," she took a minute to think. "But I can see why you would be scared to tell me about it. You weren't ready to tell me that… ya know," she reasoned without saying the actual words.

_I called  
because  
I just  
Need to feel you on the line  
Don't hang up this time  
And I know it was me who called it over but  
I still wish you'd fought me 'til Your dying day  
Don't let me get away_

She looked at him with a frown. "But why did you provoke him? You didn't have to be such an asshole for no reason."

He chuckled, "No, I didn't. You're right again." He began to smirk, "You better be living in all this 'You're right,' business because you'll rarely hear it again."

"You know I am," she answered with humor in her voice, but her expression didn't change.

Ichigo spoke again. "I was angry with myself that night. I wanted to take out my anger and I saw possibility through him. But by the time I got him to hit me, I felt like, well, what you said: an asshole."

"Well as long as you know," Rukia responded.

_Cause I can't wait to figure out what's wrong with me  
So I can say 'this is the way that I used to be  
There's no substitute for time_

"Does this mean you forgive me?" he asked with hope in his voice.

"It means I need my best friend right now."

He smiled sweetly at her, "I'll take it." He stepped closer and held his hand out to her, "How about we take this to the usual moping area?"

_Or for the sadness  
(two wrongs make it all alright tonight)  
Split screen sadness  
(two wrongs make it all alright tonight)  
We share the sadness  
(two wrongs make it all alright tonight)  
Split screen sadness  
(two wrongs make it all alright tonight)_

She wiped away a tear and stared at his hand before finally taking it to pull herself up. They made their way up the stairs until they made it to her bedroom. They took their usual place on her bed with her head resting on his chest as he held her tightly. This position was something they had made a habit of in these situations many years ago.

"I want to ask my _best friend_ a curious question," she said feeling much better in his arms.

"Shoot," he simply said in response.

_Oh and the sadness  
It's alright, it's alright  
Oh and the sadness  
It's alright, it's alright_

"Are you sure you love me?" she asked quietly.

He was surprised by the question. He wasn't really sure how to respond to it. Did she think he wasn't? He laughed internally at how ridiculous the question really was. He was completely sure. Finally, he began to respond.

"Maybe you're just lonely because you miss Senna," Rukia said before he could answer.

_Oh and the sadness  
It's alright, it's alright_

Ichigo couldn't believe it. After all of this, she still believed that one lie. He frowned as he began to think. 'Maybe she's trying to find excuses for you because she can't let you down easily. Maybe this is her way of saying she just wants us to be friends,' he thought with sadness. 'She keeps saying that I'm her best friend,' he realized. 'That's all she wants from me.'

He took a deep breath as his chest clenched. "If all you want is friendship, then that's what I'll give you," he said evenly. 'At least I gave it my all. She just doesn't want me like that.'

Rukia snuggled closer to him and yawned, "Why don't you give her a call?" She didn't really understand why she was pushing it. Maybe because she felt this was really why he was acting so different. He couldn't possibly ever love her the same way as before. It was impossible. Her mind couldn't wrap around the thought. She figured she'd get him on the right track before he wasted his time with something he didn't really want _and_ before she wasted her time thinking about something that wasn't exactly healthy for her to think about.

Ichigo frowned as his earlier phone call replayed in his mind.

"_Senna?" he asked with surprise._

"_Yeah," she said in a sweet voice. "Hey Ichigo. How are you?" she asked tenderly._

"_I'm-" he paused as he realized how he really was. "I've been better." He sighed, "But how are you doing? The tour treatin' ya well?"_

"_Actually, its over. I'm on my way home," she said with a slight laugh._

"_Wow. That went by fast," he said in response._

"_It wasn't really meant to be very long," she commented. "But I called you because… well," he heard her sigh on the other end of the phone. "I wanted to know if you wanted to try it again. I completely understand if you're not interested or anything. I mean, we haven't talked in weeks. I'm just… putting it out there."_

_He smiled softly at how nervous she sounded. "Do you think you could give me some time to think about it?"_

_He could imagine her smiling sweetly in return. "Of course."_

Ichigo continued to frown. Rukia had just given him the okay to just be friends. She told him to call Senna. That was a pretty clear sign. His heart ached, knowing how much he truly loved her. And because he loved her so much, he was going to listen to her. He would do anything she asked him to. He looked down at Rukia and to his surprise, she was fast asleep.

He was going to need to contact Senna soon if this was his decision. Any delay would make this denial so much worse. He gave it one final thought and then leaned up slightly to reach into his pocket. He pulled out his phone and sent a text message to Senna.

'_Let's give it a try.'_

* * *

Ichigo and Senna came walking into Urahara's office holding each other's hand.

He raised his eyebrows at the sight. "Well, well, well. Back together, I see. How long has this been going on?" he asked curiously. Yoruichi couldn't really believe her eyes as she sat on Urahara's desk.

Ichigo smiled, "Almost three weeks."

"Wow," Yoruichi replied. "You two jumped right back into that didn't you?"

The couple looked at each other; each with a smile and then back at the two who questioned them.

Senna spoke up. "So you wanted to see me about a photo shoot, Yoruichi?"

"Yes," she said sending a slight glare to Ichigo, "But what's he doing here?"

Ichigo held his hands up to show no offense. "Just tagged along," he explained.

Urahara spoke to his client. "So when was the last time you spoke to Ms. Kuchiki?"

Ichigo thought for a moment. "Um, well about two days ago. Why?"

His manager shrugged, "No reason. Just curious. Wanted to know if she's been working hard, that's all."

Ichigo squinted suspiciously at the older man. "Okay…"

Yoruichi began to speak to Senna again. "So how about two o'clock on Wednesday?"

"Sure thing. I'll be there," Senna said with a smile. "Is that it?"

"Yep. We're done," Yoruichi said causing the young couple to stand up.

Ichigo glared at her. "Took no more than ten seconds. Why can't you ever just do it over the phone?"

She smiled at the man she knew since he was a little boy. "This way I can look them in the eye and know that I told them about our appointment. There's no excuse."

Ichigo looked at Urahara. "Maybe you should try that out for a bit," he said with an edge of bitterness. The manager laughed in return as he watched the two walk out of his office with a wave.

Yoruichi looked at Urahara with disappointment. "I guess things didn't go as you planned."

He sighed, "No, they did. I believe Kurosaki did everything I knew he would."

She frowned in misunderstanding. "Then what happened?"

"Ms. Kuchiki's response to it was not completely thought out," he said leaning back in his chair.

It was Yoruichi's turn to sigh. "Rukia can be so oblivious at times," she said staring at the far wall in thought. She looked over at him again. "So now what?"

He shrugged. "Doesn't look like we can do anything. Might be a lost cause."

She gave him a light whack on the side of his head. He looked at her with wide eyes as his hand flung up to hold his head. She frowned at him, "Don't you ever say that. We agreed to want the best for the two of them and giving up on them being together is breaking that agreement!"

He began to chuckle, "Okay, okay! We'll hope for the best!"

She smirked. "Much better."

"Now what do you want for dinner?"

* * *

Rukia leaned back in her chair and stretched her back. She exhaled from how good the stretch felt. The writing was going very well for her in the past few weeks. She was more than thankful. She wasn't sure if it was her sudden stress relief from a hectic love life, but at the moment she felt content with being single. It allowed her to focus on her pressing career.

She looked at the time and knew it was time to get going. She had another book signing to do and was really excited for it actually. It was already assumed that she would get questioned on her top secret project and even though she still wasn't going to say a word, she was excited to see the anticipation in her fans' eyes.

And like she assumed, she did get the questions. She smiled, "I'm sorry. I made a pact with myself that I wasn't going to say anything until it came out."

An 'aw' was heard throughout the crowd. "But the wait is getting shorter, so hopefully you guys can hang in for a little bit longer." Another 'aw' was produced.

"Alright," she thought to herself. "I'll tell you what. I'll answer one question about it, but it can't be about its contents. No specifics. Ask and I'll let you know if I can answer it."

She pointed to a woman that looked to be about her age. "Is it based off anyone in your life?"

Rukia thought about it, "Hm, I'm not going to answer that one," she said with a smile. "Ask me again when it comes out."

The writer pointed to a young girl, who looked to be in her teens. "Is it a love story? Will there be any… kissing?" she said with a blush.

Rukia chuckled, "Yes and yes. Hopefully that's enough for all of you to think about for now. So let's get signing!"

She sat at the table with a smile greeting each individual that approached her. It had gotten about halfway through the crowd when her eyes spotted a man with orange hair come walking in the front door. She began to smile even more and then shook her head at how stupid he was for coming through without some sort of disguise. These people were going to eat him alive. Then, her eyes caught someone attached to his hip; or hand: Senna.

Rukia's smile seemed to fade. This she didn't quite understand why. The last time and only time she had ever spoken to the female singer was back at the premiere of Shuuhei's movie. That wasn't a very pleasant time for her.

Well, she couldn't completely say she didn't know why she felt that way. It was clear to her that the thought of him actually loving her again was left in her mind for too long before it was pulled out. She wanted to slap herself for even thinking about it. She didn't understand herself and how easily she could get swept up in something involving this man that took over her life.

It's not like she was in love with him. She laughed at the thought. That wouldn't happen again. She thought there might have been a possibility a few weeks ago, but that was when her emotions had gone haywire. She had control now and she knew how to differentiate between what was rational and irrational again.

The crowd began to scream in alarm from her surprise guests and she rolled her eyes as she sat back in her chair. The pair of musicians walked up hand in hand with smiles as they approached the writer.

Senna looked around as they stood right in front of her. "This is amazing! I'm so excited for you!" she cheered with a grin.

Rukia laughed at the woman's reaction, "Thanks, I guess." She had the need to give off an attitude; another mystery of why.

The crowd still roared. Rukia smiled as she raised an eyebrow at Ichigo and shook her head. He grinned back at her and turned to the mob. "Just visiting a friend. Don't mind us," he explained and then turned back around.

"To what do I owe this visit?" Rukia asked curiously.

Ichigo shrugged. "Had nothing better to do. Senna wanted to get her own signed copy."

Rukia was shocked by this. The dislike she had towards this sweet and wonderful woman was now making her feel like a complete bitch. Senna put her book down on the table for Rukia with a smile. The pages were worn meaning she had actually read it. This was too much for her. She didn't want this. It seemed wrong.

She internally groaned as she signed the inside cover. She handed it back to her with a fake smile. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Senna said holding the book to her chest. Ichigo put his arm around her shoulders.

"We also wanted to know if you wanted to have dinner with us tonight?" he asked casually.

Rukia's mouth fell slightly ajar. 'He did not just ask me about having dinner with the both of them…'

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "Rukia?" he said when she didn't respond. "Dinner? Tonight?"

The raven haired woman sighed mentally. 'He _did_ just ask.' She quickly thought of a way to get out of it. Then she stopped herself. 'Why are you trying to get out of it? There's nothing wrong with having dinner with your best friend and his girlfriend. Get a hold of yourself,' she thought.

"Sure. Why not?" And after those words came out of her mouth, she had the urge to kick herself.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I'm a confusing person, aren't I? You think I'm going to have her choose someone and then bam! She chooses no one. But like she said, she wants to kick herself. Maybe it means something. Maybe it doesn't. The world doesn't move incredibly fast. I'm taking into consideration how the human mind works and how stupid and indecisive it can be. Rukia: Exhibit A. So there you have it. Later


	21. Love Remains The Same

**A/N:** I wanted to get it out by today so I worked myself to the bone. Hope it turned out well. Please be nice about some possible errors. This is named after, "Love Remains The Same," by Gavin Rossdale. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Same as before.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 21: Love Remains The Same_

Rukia took a sip out of her wine glass to give her fake smile a time out. For the past twenty minutes she had laughed and smiled at the couple in front of her as they spoke of songs they had written together and little moments that couples share; ones which would be cute and adorable to anyone else besides Rukia Kuchiki.

Senna giggled. "I'm sorry. Here we are going on and on about what we have been up to and we haven't asked about you," Senna apologized with a smile.

"Yeah. Tell us something," Ichigo added with an encouraging smile.

Rukia was taken by surprise. There she was trying to tune out the telling of Ichigo preparing a candlelit dinner for Senna and then all of sudden she was put on the spot. Due to the glass already being located at her lips, she quickly tipped it back and finished it. She saw Ichigo raise an eyebrow, but she smiled politely and began to speak as she placed the empty glass on the table.

"I haven't been doing much of anything, actually. I've only really got time to write," she said with a shrug.

"Surly it doesn't monopolize your entire life," Senna said somewhat taken aback.

"Oh. No, it doesn't," Rukia agreed. "It's just I keep coming up with more ideas that I want to add in and it's growing."

"Wow. Sounds exciting. I can't wait to read it," the curious young woman commented.

Rukia smiled at her remark curiously. "I never really pinned you as a reader," she admitted.

Ichigo let out a disgusted chuckle and looked away from their table into the restaurant. Rukia saw this and glared at him. "What?" she asked due to his reaction.

He shook his head. "Quick to judgment, as always."

Rukia let her mouth fall open as she took it as an insult. "Excuse me?" she asked in disbelief. "I am not quick to judge."

He began to chuckle. "Bullshit. You judged Gin before you even knew he was an abusive drunk."

"Well that was a good call then, wasn't it?" she said with an 'I told you so,' look. "Besides, you were the one that called me a midget before you even knew anything about me!" she defended.

He laughed, "I was able to see you, wasn't I? I'd say that was enough to make that assumption."

Rukia glared. "Bastard," she mumbled under her breath, but he clearly heard and responded with a victorious grin.

The writer quickly turned back to Senna with an apologetic smile. "I didn't mean it in a bad way. It's just…"

"Bullshit," Ichigo mumbled innocently. Rukia glared at him immediately. "No one's talking to you."

"It's okay. No offense taken," Senna said with a kind smile.

Rukia hated her even more at that moment. '_No offense taken_ my ass!' she yelled in her head. 'Little miss goody-two shoes. Get angry at something! What is wrong with you?!' she continued to yell in her head. She smiled, showing her teeth, while she clenched her jaw as tight as she could. Why she wanted this woman to get upset, she had no idea.

This whole dinner was driving her mad. One, she was getting into annoying arguments with her supposed best friend. Two, awkward wasn't enough to describe her discomfort. Three, she had yet to get her food. And four, wine was vanishing from her glass the moment the waiter came and poured her a full one.

Senna had a sad face on display. "So how are you doing, Rukia? I heard you had a rough breakup with Shuuhei a few weeks ago. How are you holding up?"

Rukia immediately looked to Ichigo. His eyes were wide. He obviously was going to stay quiet it seemed. Something inside Rukia cringed. 'He's hiding his involvement?' She let a laugh resonate in her head. 'I guess that makes sense. Why tell her you thought you were in love with me and decided to try and win me back?' It wasn't a bitter thought… maybe a disappointed one though.

"I'm fine," she said with complete truth. "I've never felt better actually. It feels good to be free from any ties."

"Like the main character in your latest book," Senna said with enthusiasm.

Rukia let out a single chuckle. 'This girl really did read it.' "Yeah. Exactly."

Senna looked over at her boyfriend. "You've been awfully quiet," she said with a slight smile and the tilt of her head.

He returned her facial expression. "Just letting two important people in my life talk. Makes me happy to see you two talk freely like that."

Rukia wanted to throw up. Why was she there? Why did she agree? She was being compared to this Barbie across from her. She thanked the waiter mentally as he poured more into her glass.

Senna grinned even more at him. "I'm happy that you're happy."

'Oh god! I don't think there's enough wine in the world for me to drown myself in. This is making me gag,' she thought avoiding looking at the two sitting in front of her.

"That's why I wanted to come out to dinner," Senna continued. She grabbed his hand on the table and looked into his eyes. He stared back curiously. "I love you, Ichigo. I've known that for a long time. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want to love you for the rest of my life… if you let me."

Rukia began to chug her wine from the words.

"Will you marry me, Ichigo?"

Rukia choked as she spat out the wine that was in her mouth back into the tilted glass against her lips. Some of the liquid unfortunately sprayed in other directions. She sat the glass down at the table and coughed as she tried to gain her breath.

Ichigo stared blankly at Senna. He was just as shocked as Rukia. "Wow," was all he could really say at the moment.

Rukia watched with deep breaths. She felt as if she was watching through a two way mirror. The two didn't seem to notice her sitting their in anticipation of his answer.

Senna began to speak again. "I know we've only been going out for a few weeks."

'Three,' Rukia specified in her mind.

"But we went out for months before and I know this is serious," she explained.

'You also took a break,' Rukia thought as if to remind her.

"We only went on a break because careers got in the way," Senna said as if hearing Rukia's thoughts.

Rukia frowned in response. 'Last time I knew you hadn't even met his family.'

"You're family was so welcoming last weekend. I would love to be apart of something like that. You know I never really had a loving family," Senna continued to add as Ichigo stared with his still very shocked face.

The writer's fists formed on her lap. 'Shit. She's throwing a guilt trip on him.'

"And I've never met anyone like you before, Ichigo. I know I never will," she finished.

'Give it time. Haven't you ever heard that there are plenty of fish in the sea?' Rukia asked mentally with anxiety. She watched Ichigo.

His face softened; no longer expressing that stiff overwhelmed response. He smiled down at her with calm eyes. He gave a nod as he finally said, "Okay."

Everything went silent. There were no more sounds for Rukia. Everything seemed to have slowed down and movements were a blur. She watched as Ichigo and Senna kissed in slow motion. She could tell Senna was beginning to laugh with her excitement.

Rukia didn't react. She knew she was just sitting there staring blankly at their celebration. 'What happened?' she asked herself. 'You were happy a few hours ago. Now you're staring at your best friend who just got engaged and you feel miserable. Why? You should be happy for him. You should be toasting to them right now. So why do you want to run away? Why do you want to run away so badly that you can't move? You're stuck watching you're chest cave in. What is wrong with you, Rukia?'

And then, he turned in his head in slow motion to glance towards his best friend; a large smile was playing on his lips. The soft lighting of the restaurant caused a glare of light to shine in one of his amber eyes for a brief moment as his orbs locked with hers.

The hairs began to stand on the back of her neck and then suddenly, she felt it. It was distant before; as if only an echo in the back of her mind. But now she clearly understood it and she found herself to be a fool for not seeing it sooner.

She continued to stare at him in her almost stand still realm. His lips began to move and then suddenly, everything came back to normal speed as she heard him speak. "Rukia," he said with his voice saying her name so perfectly that she felt as if he had just sang it.

'You love him,' she finally told herself. She closed her eyes to hold back any unwanted emotions and by the time she opened her eyes again, her fake smile appeared again. "Congratulations you guys. That's great." She looked down at her watch. "Oh my god. It's already this late," she said with a fake concern. She looked up at the two and smiled apologetically as she began to stand up. "I really have to get going. I forgot I had to have a phone conference with a publishing company tonight." She pushed her chair in and noticed she felt wobbly from the one too many drinks she had.

"You're leaving?" Senna asked sadly.

Ichigo frowned in disappointment. "We didn't even get our food yet."

"Sorry," she said with fake sorrow. "It's work," she said with a shrug. "But you two stay and celebrate. I'll talk to you later." She began to walk away. "Congratulations again!" she yelled before turning completely around and heading for the exit.

* * *

Rukia came walking into her house with no particular expression across her face. It was almost as if she was numb. Her body didn't know how to react and her mind wasn't going to give a single moment to think about because she knew that would only be asking for something uncalled for.

She threw her purse on a nearby table without stopping as she continued to make her way towards her living room. She flopped down on her armchair, still wearing the dress she went to dinner in. Then, she took a deep breath and began to exhale.

"Interesting," a voice came from her left, which was the direction of her kitchen. She jumped and looked over with fear in her eyes.

She brought her hand to her chest feeling her heart beat at a very unhealthy rate as she tried to catch her breath. "God! You always sneak up on me! Can you purposefully march into the room next time so you don't have to worry about being charged for homicide?!"

Byakuya rolled his eyes as he swirled his scotch around in his glass. "Rukia, you are aware of my line of work."

She threw a hand up in the air and waved it at him, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's a habit being all stealth-like."

Byakuya let out a surprising smile. "I was merely going to say I wouldn't have to worry about being charged as a murderer due to my line of work," he finished with a smirk; hiding it as he took a sip of his drink.

Rukia looked at her brother with shock; not because of what he had said, but the fact that he had made a joke. She was taken aback. It must have been the drink talking.

"I was joking, Rukia," he said with his smile falling due to the look he was receiving.

"I know. And it's shocking," she admitted.

He rolled his eyes again and decided to move onto a different subject. "I'm half surprised that orange headed buffoon didn't follow in behind you."

Rukia let out a groan. Her eyes opened wide in response to her reaction. She didn't plan that. Byakuya stood raising an eyebrow at her response. "I just was with him."

"May I ask where you were coming from?" he asked seeing her dressed in one of her nicer outfits.

She felt the stress coming back onto her shoulders. "Dinner," she exhaled greatly. "With him and his fiancé," she added with no emotion.

"Excuse me?" Byakuya said with surprise.

Rukia internally groaned this time. She was paying close attention to her body in order to prevent reactions like before. 'Please don't make me say it again,' she begged mentally.

"Kurosaki is engaged?" Byakuya asked with curious eyes.

Rukia continued to look away from him and nodded slowly.

The feelings going through the elder Kuchiki were mixed. He never liked Ichigo Kurosaki and to have him committing himself to someone that wasn't his sister was something he would celebrate over. But at the same time, it was something he could quite possibly murder over.

He looked down at his sister as he tried to analyze her. She sat relaxed in the chair with her pointer finger drawing circles on her dress lying on her crossed legs. Her head was bowed watching her finger move elegantly.

"So why aren't you in a rainforest or desert right now?" Rukia asked changing the subject.

"They don't have any assignments for me at the moment," he stated flatly as he continued to watch her unaltered position.

"How do you feel about it?" he asked with determined eyes as he tried to understand.

"It's good you get a break. They can't have you constantly risking your life trying to-"

"Not that," Byakuya interrupted her.

She looked up at him with confusion. "How do I feel about what then?"

"The engagement."

Rukia looked at him with disbelief; as if to say 'why are you asking me this?' "I'm happy for them."

Byakuya's eyebrows rose as he brought the glass to his lips for another drink. "Are you?"

Rukia frowned. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

He chose to not answer her with words, but instead with a simple stare that seemed to tell her exactly what he was thinking.

She felt her exterior about to break from her brother's clear inference. She swallowed away the lump in her throat before she spoke. "No. It's not like that."

He continued to stare at her in the same way only his eyebrows furrowed lightly.

She huffed in response. "It's better this way."

He looked at her with irritation. "How is it better to feel unhappy?"

"Because he's happy! It would have never worked anyways!" she defended herself. She was getting riled up and she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

She stood up hastily from her chair and shook her head. "I can't believe we're talking about this," she said beginning to walk away.

"Why is it so hard to believe?" he asked with his annoyance more apparent. This stopped her from walking out of the room.

She turned around and looked at her brother as if he had gone crazy. "Did you get shot in the head without me knowing?"

He continued to frown towards her, waiting for an answer. She sighed and brushed a hand through her hair. "Since when have you ever cared about how I feel towards Ichigo?"

"Is that what you think?" he asked as he tried to understand. "That I didn't care whether or not the boy ever hurt you?"

Rukia only stared back at him; not needing to say words. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's the reason why I dislike him so much," he explained in his still very cold manner. "Because he always has that possibility of hurting you. He's done it before."

"But it always seemed like you would rather him hurt me so that he wouldn't be around anymore," she explained with emotion breaking through her voice.

He shook his head with irritation. "No matter how much I might have or still might want him out of your life, my want for you to be happy triumphs over it. I would never wish him away if I knew you truly wanted him to be there."

Rukia began to see a new side of her brother. Surprisingly, he actually did care about her happiness and not on whether or not he liked who she was spending her time with. This was, if not the only, one of the few times he has ever opened up to her. She appreciated it at such a confusing time in her life, but she couldn't fully enjoy it.

Byakuya was still shocked by the news. He had been there a little over a month ago and had the young man confess his feelings about his sister to his face. What had happened to cause this to alter, he wasn't sure, but his sister was finally coming to the realization of it all and he wanted to know what could be done to fix it.

Rukia looked at him with sad eyes. "I'm not going to do anything, Byakuya," she said softly to stop his mind from conjuring up a plan.

"So you rather throw it away without trying?" he asked coldly. Rukia gave him a determined look. He hissed and turned his head away from her. "This was not how I raised you."

Rukia let out a laugh. He looked at her in bewilderment. She shook her head with a smile, "It just clicked. You are _actually_ telling me to not let go of Ichigo Kurosaki."

He gave her an even look, but she saw the flash of amusement in his eyes and then it was gone. "I don't know what happened those few years ago. I'm not sure if anyone knows for that matter. But let me tell you something," he led in with his unemotional tone.

"You can live your life and make many mistakes and many will hurt from them. You can go on living pretending as if they never happened, but there will always be that constant reminder." He turned his head away, breaking the eye contact. "And you end up hating yourself for the flashes of images and regret it from ever beginning." He then met her gaze again; she herself sucked in air from the steady and sensitive stare of her brother's similar yet less prominent violet eyes. They weren't even blood related, but their eyes still shined in the same manner.

"But it only takes you time to realize the mistakes weren't anyone's fault to begin with. They were just a stepping stone, one that helped mold the path for the future," he spoke gently. He tilted his head innocently as he stared at her. "The future is now, Rukia. The question is… have you realized it yet?"

Rukia had trouble speaking. She was blown away. Everything she needed to hear was being said and it was coming from her _brother_; someone who was never around and never showed affection. Her heart swelled at his newly found compassion. Her eyes softened as understanding came through.

She sensed the double meaning in his words. The reason he was being so emotional was due to the memory of her beloved sister, Hisana. She remembered hearing him talk in his sleep when she was younger. He would cry and ask for forgiveness, but Rukia was too young to understand what any of it meant. She knew now that he took the blame for her sister's life. He accused himself of being the reason she was in the car accident due to her coming back from finding she was, in fact, pregnant. He used to wish he could take it all back; even go far enough to say that he would sacrifice never knowing her to have her live a normal life. But it seemed he had come to terms with what he believed to be his _mistake_ of ever meeting her. He knew that his life wouldn't have been as full as it was now if he hadn't. He still had his younger sister, Rukia, and that was something he was more than thankful to Hisana for.

Byakuya began to turn and walk back into the kitchen. He walked a few steps but then stopped and turned slightly back to her. "Time is a precious thing, Rukia. If you make up your mind, you only have so long before you can take it back. You can't race it; it's an unbeatable battle. So make sure you decide and are content with your decision before it's too late." And then he disappeared into the kitchen.

Rukia stood there trying to take it all in. 'What exactly does he want me to do?' she thought as she continue to stand in place. 'Its like he wants me to go after him, but then he tells me that if I decide what I want to do, to be sure of it. It's like he's supporting me, yet telling me I'm wrong,' she thought in confusion. She let her head fall back behind her shoulders and stared at the ceiling as she exhaled loudly. She turned around and began to make her way up the stairs to her bedroom.

'How could I love him? After everything that we've been through, how is it that I still dream of that house by the ocean with a picket fence and little kids running around with me in his arms?' she asked herself in annoyance.

Rukia let out a grunt and threw herself backwards on her bed. "I was over him!" she yelled with frustration. 'He says something to me weeks ago and I'm left dwelling on it with false hope!' she yelled in her head this time. She rolled to her side and rolled up into a ball as much as she could in her dress. "It's not fair," she whispered before she allowed herself to fall into a distracting sleep.

* * *

It had been a few days. Rukia really didn't know how many. She had been avoiding a certain man that she refused to believe she was in love with. She didn't even leave the house, despite Byakuya's urges for her to. She wasn't moping, just isolating herself.

Ichigo tried calling her and texting her, but she didn't respond. She felt bad considering he didn't do anything to deserve it, but she needed to do this. It was for her sanity's sake.

She lounged on her couch with her hair up in a small ponytail, wearing a plain white baggy t-shirt with a pair of baggy jogging shorts meant for men. They were just so comfortable though.

She sat there watching "The Notebook" with a box of Chewy Chips Ahoy on her lap, a bowl of Doritos to her left and three empty cans of Dr. Pepper to her right. She threw a can at the screen as the female lead had trouble deciding between her past love and her current one. "You end up dying at the end! What's the point?!" she yelled in frustration. No, she wasn't moping _at all_.

Then, her doorbell rang. Something inside her told her who it was and she had no reason to disagree with that feeling. There was no point in avoiding it anymore. She got up and dragged herself towards the door.

"Hey! Where the hell have you been?" Ichigo asked with annoyance in his tone, but a smirk on his face as he began to walk past her into the house. She sighed and closed the door behind him.

"I've been here," she said with a shrug.

He looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "It's been four days since the dinner. Why haven't you been picking up your phone or anything?"

Rukia took in his words. It had been four days. She mused over the fact that it hadn't felt that long. She began to walk towards the kitchen for another can of soda, which caused him to follow. "I've been isolating myself," she said in response. In other words, she had been moping.

He scrunched up his face. "Why would you do that?" he asked seeing her apparel from behind. She looked a bit too relaxed.

She opened the fridge and reached in for a can and looked at him as she pulled away. "Because I felt like it." She noted that he looked good. A pair of sunglasses rested in his rebellious hair as he wore a blue muscle shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. His toned body was easily seen and she held back the urge to- 'No! No! Stop it, Rukia!'

"That's just dumb," he said with annoyance as he leaned his back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. Rukia's eyes watched as his bicep flexed from the movement. She shook her mind from more _terrible_ thoughts and scowled at him.

"Look who's talking," she said immediately before turning and opening the can at the kitchen island.

"What the hell does that even mean?" he asked not really caring that much, but asking nonetheless.

"I don't know," she said with irritation. "You're just dumb. Don't ask questions you don't know the answers to."

Ichigo gave her a confused look and ignored it. "So I've been trying to talk to you, but you've been _isolated_," he said putting quotes around the word.

Rukia took a sip of her soda. "Get on with it, Kurosaki. Haven't got all day," she said lazily.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I interrupted anything," he said making it obvious as he examined her outfit.

She looked down at herself and then back at him with a frown. "Shut up. What do you want?"

He sighed and began to rub the back of his neck. Rukia caught his nervous tick and felt curious as to what he wanted that could make him uncomfortable.

"I wanted to know, well, since you're my best friend and everything," he began and then let out a nervous laugh. "It's kind of weird considering you're a girl and all, but," he said pausing as he avoided eye contact.

"Spit it out, Ichigo," she said with impatience and definite interest.

"Would you be my best man?" he asked with a weak smile.

Rukia felt a shocked shiver run over her body. Swallowing became hard. Her grip on her soda can became tighter until it cracked. She jumped from the sound, while Ichigo raised a brow once again.

She stuttered to talk, "M-me? Why? I mean what about Uryuu or Chad? Renji even?"

He shook his head, "I want _you_ standing next to me up there."

Rukia felt so small all of a sudden. She wanted to be standing next to him too, only on the other side of him. 'What are you doing?' she asked herself calmly. 'Let it go. You already decided this. You should be honored.'

She then pushed every upsetting feeling deep down into a place that it would have trouble getting out of right away. Then, a smile was forced to her lips. "I'd be honored."

Ichigo grinned and then walked over to her. He quickly picked her up and spun her in a circle, which widened her eyes in surprise. He set her down with his grin still on his face. "I knew you wouldn't let me down."

His hands were still placed on her hips and she had her hands placed on his chest. 'Please let go of me,' she begged mentally. It somehow brought back the feelings she pushed away.

"Can you believe I'm engaged?" he asked with a laugh. "How ridiculous is that?"

Rukia let out a fake laugh, "Ridiculous." 'Now let me go!'

He then looked down at her with sincere ambers. "Thanks for doing this for me," he said softly before pulling her closely and hugging her tightly. Rukia felt a whimper in her throat. Of course she would do it. She would do anything for him.

She had to swallow… _now_! It was so close for tears to start streaming down her cheek. She needed to swallow and push it back. Her head rested against his chest as her eyes slammed shut. Then, it was too late. Three tears came strolling down.

She pushed away from him and turned around before he could see her face. "Don't thank me," she said in a tone that she hoped sounded normal.

Ichigo stared at her a little confused but chose to think nothing of it. He then felt something on his chest and looked down. He saw three damps spots on his shirt and frowned. He looked back up in the direction of where Rukia had walked off to.

She sat back down on her couch with the remote in her hand, ready to push play. Ichigo walked in and found her with junk food all around her. He stared at her in question and then walked closer to her. He pulled the remote out of her hand and threw it on the couch next to her.

"Ichigo," she said in confusion as he pulled on her wrist to stand up.

"Let's go," he said dragging her towards the door.

Rukia blinked a few times before it began to register. Then, she started to resist. "No! Ichigo! Look at me! I'm not going out there!" she said thinking of her outfit.

"No one will see you," he said easily as he shut the door behind them.

"Where are we even going?" she asked in irritation.

"To me bike," he said within feet of his motorcycle. She scowled at him, "You knew what I meant!"

He sat down on the vehicle and then looked back at her. "Get on," he said with a nod behind him. He held out the helmet.

She growled and put it on. Then, she hopped onto the back and hesitantly placed her hands on his waist. "Can you tell me now?" she asked in defeat.

He revved the engine and smirked. "To the airport," he said quickly and then sped off before she could say anything.

* * *

After she stopped yelling at him for being too spontaneous for his own damn good and after she finished yelling at him for making her go in such an unattractive outfit, they sat silent through the flight and now sat in a car they had rented. Ichigo was driving with soft eyes as he stared at the scenery.

He peeked over at his passenger and smirked. "Oh come on. I rather have you yelling at me then this terrible silence."

She glared at him and then crossed her arms over her chest. He let out a chuckle. "You can so childish sometimes."

Rukia rolled her eyes at him and then looked back out the window. Ichigo sighed, "I'm sorry, okay? It just looked like you were in a dump. I wanted to pick you up and get you out of there fast."

Rukia let herself relax a little and then looked through the windshield. "Besides," he began, "You don't look that ugly, so I don't know what you're freaking out about."

Her eyes went wide as she turned and stared at him. He felt her eyes on him, but he kept his face neutral as he stared out the window on the road.

She felt her chest ache again causing her to furrow her eyebrows.

"Want to tell me what's up with you?" he said as he kept his eyes ahead of him.

"Not really," Rukia said stubbornly without looking in his direction.

Ichigo shook his head. "I'll get it out of you eventually," he said giving up for the time being. Rukia hoped for once that wasn't true.

"Want to tell me why you brought me back to Karakura?" she asked in return.

He smiled softly, "You need a break from that hectic life. You haven't been home since… well, since your sister. And I haven't been home in months," he explained with care.

Rukia bowed her head slightly from the mention of her sister and then looked over at Ichigo. He gave her a glance with a smile. "So let's try to relax and enjoy our visit home," he suggested.

She couldn't help but let a smile come to her lips in return.

* * *

_A thousand times I've seen you standing  
Gravity like lunar landing  
You make me wanna run till I find you_

They pulled up to Rukia's childhood house. It was still the same giant, luxurious house. Ichigo smirked at the building in front of him as he stood with his hands in his pockets. "It's amazing," he began. "You were probably the richest kid around yet you'd rather run around with a bunch of delinquents." He looked back at Rukia, who approached slowly.

_I shut the world away from here  
I drift to you, you're all I hear  
As everything we know fades to black_

She smiled, "There's nothing interesting about being rich and proper," she said looking up at the house. She turned to stare at Ichigo. "They never break the rules," she added with a mischievous grin.

"Except you," Ichigo said as he laughed. "You were a real rebel."

_Half the time the world is ending  
Truth is I am done pretending_

Rukia rolled her eyes at him and then began to walk up the few steps, but then paused. She stared down at the steps and let images flash through her mind.

_I never thought that I  
Had anymore to give  
You're pushing me so far  
Here I am without you_

She closed her eyes as her mind replayed a clear memory.

"I think this is a good time to talk about what's going on," his voice causally broke through her thoughts. She opened her eyes to see him sitting down on the step next to her, his elbow leaning back on the step above him. He patted the step next to him, "Come on."

_Drink to all that we have lost  
Mistakes we have made  
Everything will change  
But,love remains the same_

She sat down without thinking. "I feel lost," she spoke looking out in front of her instead of at him

Ichigo raised an eyebrow and smiled. "In what way?"

She let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm confused. I can't decide things anymore."

"Hm. That could be a problem," he stated. Rukia looked back at him.

"What is it that you can't decide about?" he asked curiously.

_I find a place where we escape  
Take you with me for the space  
The city buzz sounds just like a fridge_

Rukia gave him a warning look. He raised his hands. "Okay, okay. You don't have to tell me…yet," he said in response. He then relaxed back into his position. "Why do you think you can't decide?"

She thought for a few seconds and then answered. "Because I'm scared."

_I walk the streets through seven bars  
I have to find just where you are  
The faces seem to blur  
They're all the same_

"What are you afraid of?" he asked calmly.

"Making a mistake."

He tilted his head, "Rukia, people make mistakes all the time. It's just something you have to risk in order to see where things go. It can't be _that_ bad if it doesn't work out."

_Half the time the world is ending  
Truth is I am done pretending_

She laughed with a sad tone. "But I know _where things go_ if I do make a mistake. And it is _that_ bad." 'I don't want to mess things up for you,' she thought to herself.

_I never thought that I  
Had anymore to give  
You're pushing me so far  
Here I am without you_

Ichigo exhaled, "Well, I guess you just have to think about whether it's worth it." His eyes locked with hers. He shrugged, "Is it worth risking it all for it?"

Rukia turned her head away from him, "For me it is…" she whispered.

_Drink to all that we have lost  
Mistakes we have made  
Everything will change  
But love remains the same_

Ichigo smiled softly at her. She then felt him pull her closer to him. She was now leaning against him, her head resting on his shoulder. It was a shock, but she wouldn't deny it.

"Any chance you're gonna tell me the specifics?" he gave it another shot.

"Not a chance," she said flatly. He nodded and decided not to bug her if it was making her that upset. He then began to chuckle.

_So much more to say  
So much to be done  
Don't you trick me out  
We shall overcome  
It's all left still to play_

"What's so funny?" she asked with an eyebrow raised, her head still on his shoulder.

"You know we've been in this exact position before, right?" he said with amusement.

Rukia began to smile. This was the exact memory she was remembering minutes before. "Amazing how you're comforting me just like you were back then. You've still got that gift," she complimented.

He smirked, "Still got that affect on women…"

_We - we could have had the sun  
Could have been inside  
Instead we're over here_

She elbowed him in the gut. He groaned and then his smirk came back. "I know, I know. I'm still the only guy in the whole world that can catch you when you're falling," he said quoting her from his memory.

_Half the time the world is ending  
Truth is I am done pretending  
Too much time too long defending  
You and I are done pretending_

"You musicians and your words…" Rukia said with a smirk earning a laugh from Ichigo.

"Nice switcheroo," he commented.

"Thank you," she said with a nod.

_I never thought that I  
Had anymore to give  
You're pushing me so far  
Here I am without you  
Drink to all that we have lost  
Mistakes we have made  
Everything will change  
Everything will change_

They sat there in a comfortable silence. Ichigo was thinking about what could possibly be upsetting one of the most important people in his life, while Rukia was trying to decide whether or not she should like the fact of her leaning against the man that made her feel whole. There was so much for her to think about, but there was just so little time.

Ichigo then shifted away from her and stood up. He looked down at the steps and held his hand out.

_I, oh I,  
I wish this could last forever  
I, oh I,  
as if this could last forever_

"Whatever you decide, I know you'll be okay." She grabbed his hand as he pulled her up. He then shrugged, "'Cause I'll always be there to catch ya."

Rukia felt herself melt. He had no idea and yet he still was able to calm her senses. She took a deep breath. Ichigo nodded towards the door. "Come on. Let's get you changed so we can go visit my crazy family."

_Love remains the same  
Love remains the same _

* * *

"Rukia, my dear! To what do we deserve such a wonderful guest?" Isshin said with excitement as Rukia and Ichigo walked in the door. She was now wearing an airy yellow skirt with a white tank top. Her smile was large as she was met with the family she loved as her own.

"Oh shut up, Dad," Ichigo said, leading Rukia in with his hand on the small of her back. Isshin saw this and raised an eyebrow as he began to smile.

Rukia's back straightened in response to Ichigo's touch, but she didn't protest. Why would she?

"Rukia!" the youngest twin yelled, dropping the spoon by the pot and hugging her tightly.

Rukia chuckled, "It's good to see you too, Yuzu."

Ichigo looked over towards the two approaching them. Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Chad," he stated with no emotion. It had hit a nerve when he found that one of his best friends was beginning to date one of his younger sisters. He could admit that he was too protective for his own good, but it was still hard to get used to. He knew Chad was an amazing guy, but it didn't change the fact that he was an older man who wanted to put his hands on his sister.

Rukia elbowed him in the side as she passed by to hug Karin. She glared back at him making him roll his eyes.

"Hey Ichigo," Chad said in response with a smile as he shook his head. He knew what Ichigo was doing.

Rukia hugged Chad and then Yuzu spoke. "Dinner's done, so why don't we sit down?"

"So tell us something new," Isshin said with a grin. He was _too_ excited.

Ichigo swallowed and then cleared his throat. "Actually, I have some pretty big news," he said with a smile.

"Oh yeah?" the father added intrigued.

"Yeah," Ichigo answered. "I'm engaged."

Everyone went silent. Rukia's eyes went wide. They obviously didn't know. She looked at Ichigo incredulously. "You didn't tell them yet?" she hissed. 'It's been four days!' she yelled in her head.

He looked at her with confusion and then met the eyes of his father. He looked between Rukia and Ichigo and then began to smile. "Are you serious?"

Yuzu held her hands together against her chest with a smile breaking out on her face.

Ichigo nodded with a smirk. "Yep. Four days now," he said peeking over at Rukia who was shaking her head at him.

"I can't believe it," Karin said with a chuckle.

"After all these years, it finally happened," Yuzu said with teary eyes.

Chad stared with confusion. Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows curiously, "Well not really years. More like months. Senna and I think that's enough though."

Everyone was taken aback. They couldn't believe it. The smiles faded as everyone looked to Rukia. Ichigo was confused and then finally spoke, "What?"

Rukia knew exactly what was going on. They thought Ichigo and herself were engaged. She wanted to laugh at the misunderstanding yet part of her longed for it to be true. It saddened her to see the disappointment in the Kurosakis' eyes. She looked down at her plate to avoid staring into them. It hurt too much.

Isshin finally put on a smile. "I'm happy for you, my boy."

Ichigo smiled again. "Thanks."

"Congratulation," Yuzu said with fake happiness. Rukia could hear it, but she doubted Ichigo could.

Ichigo gave a nod as he went to take another mouthful of food.

Soon the dinner conversation changed due to most feeling uncomfortable. It was the usual dinner in that household. They laughed as insults were thrown between everyone except Yuzu, who was too kind to make fun of or insult anyone else.

Rukia felt at home. It felt right sitting there laughing every three seconds. It was something she missed. Something she used to do often in her childhood. Her thoughts began to wander as everything continued in front of her.

Was it worth risking everything? She would be jeopardizing Ichigo's future happiness with Senna. She would be jeopardizing their friendship. He had already admitted what she believed to be false feelings. How many times can they admit such strong emotions without breaking their friendship? It was so risky.

Her mind then wandered. What if he did reciprocate her feelings? Would they last? Would they end in disaster like before? That was something else she would be risking. She didn't know if they could ever become such close friends again if they had another terrible breakup. So, was it worth it?

She watched as the family moved in slow motion. They laughed as Isshin had just received a spoonful of peas in the face. His face in shock as Karin smirked at her aim. Ichigo smiled and shook his head. He then glanced at Rukia sitting next to him; the scene still in slow motion. His eyes shined down into her with a smile.

That one look that almost made time stop completely for her told her something. Something very important. Her brother's words played in her head as she stared into Ichigo's captivating eyes.

'_But it only takes you time to realize the mistakes weren't anyone's fault to begin with. They were just a stepping stone, one that helped mold the path for the future. The future is now, Rukia. The question is… have you realized it yet?'_

The past was something that wasn't anyone's fault. It wasn't Ichigo's fault for not loving her anymore and it wasn't her fault for not being there for him enough. There weren't any mistakes, just actions that led them to this moment in time; this moment where she had to make her decision and mean it because there was no turning back now.

Was it worth it? Her smile grew softly as her violet eyes shined with Ichigo's amber. She then knew her answer.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Longer chapter. Hopefully interesting. Tell me what you think. Later


	22. It's Not Just Me

**A/N:** So here is the next chapter. I love angst. Please realize that. Also, I do love romance. So when you feel like the world is going to crumble, remember all it can ever go from there is up. This chapter is named after another Rascal Flatts' song, which is golden. "It's Not Just Me." Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Same as before.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 22: It's Not Just Me_

"Tell me why you hate me so much," Ichigo groaned as he stared in the mirror at himself and continued to try and tie his black necktie. He stood in his black suit and red dress shirt as he was almost finished getting dressed for Toushirou and Momo's wedding.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Shut up and turn," she said standing up from her seat on a chair in his room.

"I've got it," he said with irritation as he continued to twist the fabric in different directions.

She placed her hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn. He huffed and glared away from her. Rukia just smiled and shook her head at his childish behavior.

She finished in under twenty seconds. He avoided eye contact as he sheepishly said, "Thanks." It felt strange having her do that. He had a fiancé. These things shouldn't matter since he had agreed to spend the rest of his life with Senna. But somehow he was still well aware of the proximity between Rukia and himself at certain points in time.

"Mhm," she said with a smile. "Now let's get out of here or we'll be late," she said with her hands on her hips in her red off the shoulder bride's maid dress. Her hair was up in a bun with some strands of hair pulled loose to hang and frame around her face. As Ichigo looked at her, he couldn't help but think of his favorite picture of her that he had on the dresser next to other photos of his friends. He truly did love that picture.

They had gotten back from Karakura three days ago and the wedding kind of snuck up on them. The day they got back they had to go to a rehearsal for the ceremony considering Ichigo was chosen as an usher and Rukia as a bride's maid.

"Right, I'll get your helmet," he said walking out of the room.

"Woa, woa, woa. Hold it, Strawberry. I'm not riding on that thing in this dress," she said in a tone that said she wasn't going to change her mind.

"Come on," he whined as she passed him out of his room and began going down his stairs. He followed close behind her. "Just have your legs hanging over on one side. It'll be fine!"

Rukia shook her head as she continued to walk ahead of him. "What's up with you and having this weird obsession with that damn bike?" she asked in more of a rhetorical question.

"Come on. It'll be fine," he added as they stood near the front door.

"No thanks. I'm taking my car," she said simply.

He raised an eyebrow. "Wait. We're not going together?" His chest sunk. 'What the hell is wrong with you, Ichigo? You're not disappointed. At least, you shouldn't be…' he berated himself.

"Well you _really_ want to drive that machine out front, so I guess so."

"But you asked me to be your date… We can't show up at different times," he said incredulously.

The night of the rehearsal Ichigo had found out that Senna would be out of town for some two day concert and would be coming back halfway through the celebration, so she wasn't going to even bother coming. Finding this out, Rukia figured since she didn't want to go alone and Ichigo was going alone that they should just go together.

Rukia looked at him incredulously. "I did not ask you to be my _date_. All I said was maybe we should go together. Don't twist my words," she said with a glare.

"Still. That means we should actually, ya know, _go together_," he defended.

"Oh shut up, Ichigo. People meet up at things like this all the time. Just try not to take too long in getting there," she said opening the door, grabbing her purse and walking out the door leaving him with a scowl.

She had made her decision four days ago at the Kurosaki dinner table. Nothing was going to change it. She was determined to do what she had to. One simple question was all she was going to ask and then it would be done. There was no turning back.

Although for the past few days since she had decided what she was going to do, she realized she had grown irritated. She was in no mood to deal with Ichigo's usual annoying ticks and childish antics. She couldn't help but resent him for putting all those thoughts in her head and then walking away like it never happened. It left her an internal mess and he had no idea. She could never hate him for it, but she still would like to let out what anger and frustration he had caused her.

* * *

The wedding was a typical wedding.

Rukia and Ichigo walked down the aisle together avoiding each other's gaze due to the strange feeling of awkwardness and that was about the only out of the ordinary part of the ceremony. The rest was basically a lullaby. At first it was cute to see the couple standing side by side ready to spend the rest of their lives together, but then it got very dull.

Ichigo's eyes traveled to Rukia, who was at one point playing the game where you close one eye and you can see the left of chair and then you switch eyes and then you see the front of the chair. He smirked at her attempt of finding entertainment. He himself had been singing his recent song in his head for memory's sake.

The after party came after what seemed like forever. Renji was already challenged to a drinking game by none other than his supposedly secret girlfriend, Tatsuki. They were lost in the bar section of the giant hall that was rented out.

Uryuu and Orihime hit the dance floor immediately and had yet to retreat back to their seats. Rangiku drummed her fingers on a table while Gin continued to refuse her continuous begging to go and dance as Kaien sat at a table with four other women who giggled at his every word. He was enjoying himself greatly.

The new husband and wife sat, after greeting many guests and thanking them for coming, at a table where Momo actually got the very proper and reputation oriented, Toushirou Hitsugaya, to eat a piece of watermelon from her fork.

Chad sat at a table with Karin and Rukia and from what the writer could tell, he continued to grow more attached to the younger Kurosaki. She had no idea where Ichigo was, but she was enjoying herself with the new couple. At no point in time did she feel uncomfortable and as she tried to leave the two alone a few times, they told her to stay and struck up another conversation.

Rukia asked about Chad's upcoming snowboarding competition, which he was thrilled to explain. Karin asked Rukia if she had ever read certain authors she had recently stumbled across, in which Rukia had told her that she had in fact met some of them as well.

A slower song took up the hall and Rukia found herself sighing at the soft melody playing around her.

"Care to dance?" a voice said from her side. She jumped slightly and looked up in surprise, only to see her supposed date standing with his hands in his pockets. His stance gave off the impression that he could care less if she said yes, which made it less awkward for her to agree. "Sure," she said with no enthusiasm although she felt herself screaming it inside.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the center of the hall where the majority had gathered to dance. They finally stopped and took the position; Ichigo's hands were placed on her waist while hers rested behind his neck.

They began to sway, "So," he started. "How'd that decision you were upset about go?" he asked with sincere eyes.

Rukia took a deep breath. "I don't know the result yet," she said watching Uryuu and Orihime stare into each other's eyes as they danced close together. She smiled softly at the sight and then turned back to look in front of her.

"How's the writing going?" he asked curiously with his head slightly tilted to the side.

"Good, good," she said not really focusing on him, but on what she was about to do.

"Can't believe those two are finally married. Weird having a married couple in the group," he said with amusement.

"Yeah," was all she responded with as she continued to not stare directly at his face.

He took a deep breath. He wanted to keep a conversation with her. If he didn't, it would have felt too intimate to dance with her like this and he didn't want to shove that in his face. So he desperately tried to distract himself.

"Wonder what kind of cake they're serving," he said immediately as his eye caught the towering dessert. It was the first thing he could think of to fill the silence.

Rukia couldn't help a smirk. "Strawberry short cake."

Ichigo let out a scoff. "Figures."

Another few seconds went by before Rukia decided to finally speak. "I need you to answer a question," Rukia said staring into his chest rather than his eyes.

"Shoot," he said casually as they continued to move to the slow music. He stared down at her, seeing she was avoiding his eyes.

She blinked a few times and then picked up her head to meet his gaze. He felt himself shudder from her piercing violets. It knocked the wind out of his chest and he tried incredibly hard to keep a straight face. 'Why? Why is she still having this effect on me?! I listened to her! I went to Senna! Now I'm engaged and moving on!' he yelled in his head as he fought to keep control of his facial expression. 'Why can't I stop loving you?' he whispered sadly in his head.

"Do you love Senna?" she asked with determination.

He was blown away. He stuttered for words. "I- I, wait, what?"

Rukia huffed loudly, "Just answer the question, Ichigo."

He began to get fidgety. She felt it as his fingers on her waist began to drum in no distinct pattern. He let out an awkward laugh and took his eyes away from her. "That's a pretty random question," he said as he let a hand brush through his hair and then land back on her waist.

"Ichigo," she said with a frown. He had yet to answer her. He looked down at her with furrowed eyebrows.

"Why does it matter so much, Rukia?" he asked with sensitive eyes.

"You're engaged to the woman, Ichigo. It should matter," she explained softly.

"Well there ya go. If I'm engaged with her I must love her, huh?" he said trying to end the conversation.

They stopped swaying to the music now and stood there in the same position. Rukia frowned again. "Why can't you tell me straight out? You keep avoiding it."

He rolled his eyes. "What exactly do you want me to say? I don't understand what your goal is here."

"I want you to tell me that you love her," she explained as clearly as she could. She swallowed hard.

"Fine. I do," he said simply.

Rukia shook her head with irritation, "No. Say the words!" she demanded with no patience left.

He squinted at her in confusion. "Tell me why," he asked softly. There was some sort of hidden agenda and he wanted to know what it was before he spoke the words he dreaded.

Rukia huffed and turned to look away from him. Her frown deepened. "Why are you being so damn complicated? All I want to know is that you love her. That's it and then I'll stop talking," she said evenly. 'I'll stop dreaming too.'

Ichigo frowned. "Maybe I don't want you to stop talking," he said in defense.

Rukia rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up, Ichigo." She said beginning to look back up at him, "I just-"

His eyes were burning her and she couldn't find it in her to finish her sentence.

Her eyes softened and her body suddenly didn't feel as strong as she thought. "You'll stop me sooner or later. You're bound to get married eventually."

His eyes were less fierce. He felt the pain in his chest return. The same pain he had purposefully tried to avoid by getting himself into his current situation. 'Why does she care so much?' he begged in his mind.

"I can't stop you, Rukia," he admitted sadly.

Rukia looked at him curiously. "What… do you mean?"

He shook his head. "I can't tell you that I love her," he said with the words piercing his heart. He was leaving himself vulnerable again and he knew the ending was only going to be more painful. There was no turning back now though.

Rukia's eyebrows furrowed due to misunderstanding. "Why not?"

He broke eye contact for a second and looked down in between them at their feet. He then looked back up with sorry eyes. "I'll only ever love one person," he said so softly that Rukia thought she had misheard him.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she tried her best to stay calm. "I- I don't understand."

He sighed and shook his head. He let out a chuckle. "Did you honestly believe that I missed Senna? That I was in love with her? I may have been at one point, but not now." He frowned in confusion. "How could you think that I would say that I loved you and it wasn't true?" He shook his head in disbelief. "Why would I say something so damn meaningful to _you_ if I missed my ex?" He looked at her with questioning eyes. "How could you believe that after all that damn effort with Shuuhei that I wasn't sure of how I felt about _you_?"

It felt good to finally tell her. Knowing how this usual went, he knew that it was only a matter of time before everything was thrown back in his face. Why he spoke up now was a mystery to him as well. Maybe it was because she wanted to hear him say the words that he just couldn't say. It wouldn't be true.

Rukia felt speechless. She asked him to tell her that he loved Senna so she could end her stupid illusions. She never even expected this. It was a confession; one that she knew she shouldn't hear.

What he had said to her weeks ago was something she held against him. She was angry and upset at him for it. He had said he loved her and she held onto that with hope. He said something that wasn't true and gave her these painful dreams, or so she thought. To be completely honest, she was afraid of how this would turn out.

_Tell me you've had trouble sleeping  
That you toss and turn from side to side  
That it's my face you've been seeing  
In your dreams at night_

She frowned sadly. "How could I not believe it?" she asked with a weak voice. "Why would I think that you would ever love me again?" Tears threatened to form causing her to flare her nostrils at how weak she was letting herself be.

He felt another shot of pain in his chest. He flinched slightly. "God damn it, Rukia!" he said not meaning to yell at her, but instead letting out the frustration of his guilt. He looked at her with apologetic eyes. "I never stopped loving you," he said softly with a pained expression.

Rukia began to slowly shake her head. She pulled away from him slowly as well. "No," she said softly. "No," she said again with more strength as she turned out of his grasp completely.

_Tell me that you wake up crying  
And you're not sure exactly why  
Tell me that something is missing  
In your life, in your life baby_

He reached for her quickly and grabbed her forearm before she was out of reach. He spun her back against him with a determined look in his eyes. Tears freely fell down her face as her violet pools overflowed.

"I let you go four years ago because you were turning into what I was. I didn't want that to happen to the one pure thing in my life. I didn't want to watch you break anymore," he explained with guilt gracing his words.

Rukia shook her head. "No. No," she repeated. "Stop it," she whispered.

_Tell me that you live for love  
That forever is never enough  
That you've waited all your life to see  
That you want so badly to believe  
Tell me that it's not just me_

He held her tighter. "I can't. I won't obey you this time," he said with water coming to his own eyes.

She let herself fall into a sob. "Why? Why tell me now? I don't understand."

Ichigo let a smile fall on his lips as he stared back into her beautiful violet eyes. "I can't lie to you, Rukia. I can't tell you I'm in love with another woman when I'm still so in love with you that I can hardly breathe when you look me in the eyes." He shook his head. "I can't go on any further without you knowing that you always have my heart in your hands. It can't ever be anywhere else."

She sniffed and broke eye contact with him as she looked towards the wall. "You don't know what you're talking about-"

_I could have sworn I saw you smile at me  
Standing in the pouring rain (pouring rain)  
At a loss for words and running out of time  
I said this crazy thing (crazy thing), I said_

He quickly brought his hands to her face and turned her to look at him. "I know exactly what I'm talking about," he interrupted her. "I'm in love with you, Rukia Kuchiki," he said confidently with his ambers letting her into his hollow soul to see his heart. "And even though you don't feel the same. I want you to know that," he added sadly.

His body no longer felt capable to stand. He had told her everything only to leave him wounded. He let his thumbs trace the skin of her cheeks as his hands remained on the side of her face.

_Tell me that you live for love  
That forever is never enough  
That you've waited all your life to see  
That you want so badly to believe  
Tell me that it's not just me_

It was Rukia's turn to feel that pain in her chest. What he ended with wasn't true. Her fingers ached by her sides to reach out and touch him. He had opened up completely to her and now he was ready for a rejection. She didn't know what to do. This was unforeseeable and now she had to decide what to do within the next few seconds.

Ichigo stared down into her eyes as he waited for her to speak. It was only a matter of time before she gently took his hands off of her face and into hers as she let him down easy. That was the option he hoped for. Of course she could always take the angrier approach. Quite frankly, he could picture her slapping him across the face once again. He sadly would agree that he deserved that.

_Hold me now and tell me that you do believe  
In a soul, a soul mate  
And tell me, and tell me, tell me_

He then realized something. This was his last chance; his one last time to ever be this close to her again. He took in the soft skin of her face as it touched his coarse fingertips.

_Tell me that you live for love  
That forever is never enough  
That you've waited all your life to see  
That you want so badly to believe_

And so he leaned down and captured her lips. It wasn't forceful or even passionate. He let his lips move in a gentle rhythm against hers; his eyes closed to take in every last moment of this miracle. He tasted tears as they ran down her cheeks and onto his lips. He pulled away in fear of upsetting her as the longing for her lips another time yanked at his heart.

Her arms still hung at her sides as she sobbed silently. Her head was now bent towards the floor as her shoulders slumped. Ichigo felt his jaw tremble. He was now on the verge of tears from the sight of her. "Rukia," he said weakly. "I'm so sorry," he said softly as he began to walk past her.

_Tell me that it's not just me_

She caught his wrist as he stepped next to her. He looked to his side at her as her head remained bowed to the ground. He heard her sniff and then raise her head to meet his gaze. He turned his body towards her with sad eyes. "Rukia. Please, I didn't mean to-"

"Shut up," she whimpered. "Just shut up," she repeated before placing her hands on his shoulders and pulling herself to his lips.

He was stunned. He never imagined that she would actually reciprocate his feelings. Now here _she_ was kissing _him_. His body felt like it was undergoing electric shocks. He wasn't sure if they were dangerous, but he knew that if they were, he would die happy at that very moment.

He brought his hands to the small of her back and pulled her closer as he met her lips with eagerness. They didn't even notice the full hall that was gawking at the scene they had created. They could care less about anything other than each other just then.

He could feel how much she wanted this as well and his body was soaring. How could this have happened? How could she ever love him again after hurting her? He didn't know and he didn't care. She was in his arms and that was all that mattered.

Rukia wanted to slap herself. She couldn't stop crying even though she was enduring the most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed. Why did she have to be so emotional? What was happening right now was a good thing- no, an amazing thing. And then it hit her. As her lips pressed against his she felt a sudden pang in her chest that divided the overwhelming feeling of yearning. She pulled her head back slightly, surprising Ichigo.

Rukia looked up into his questioning ambers as a lone tear strolled down her cheek. "You're with Senna. I can't do this to her," she said sadly as she pulled away from him.

It was funny really. She cared about how the woman she had grown to dislike _very_ much would feel if she found out about this. Rukia wondered if she would have cared as much about it if she hadn't witnessed what this kind of news would do to someone firsthand. Shuuhei's reaction was locked in her thoughts. It killed her to see the pain in his eyes when she told him. She could only imagine the guilt Ichigo would feel when she found out.

She took a few steps backwards as she watched him try to find words to make her stay; any words, but he knew it was too late as she turned and saw everyone staring at them. She ran out of there without looking back and tears rolling down her face once again.

Ichigo stood there silently as his body slumped. He frowned at how close he had been. Then, his surroundings broke through to him. He saw the guests staring and whispering. He saw his friends staring with their mouths open in shock. They hadn't seen that coming and to be honest, neither did the two of them.

He then bowed his head as if he could somehow hide from the many eyes upon him. He made his way towards the exit in a brisk walk.

* * *

Ichigo was on his bike, still in his suit only his tie hung loosely around his neck. The wind blew it around his body as it flew around his arm in the air. His helmet shielded his face from the wind and as he stopped at a traffic light, he removed it. He wanted to feel the wind on his skin. It would calm his senses and ease his mind.

The light turned green and he was on the move again. 'She was right,' he thought. 'I can't do that to Senna. It's wrong,' he agreed in his mind. 'Senna loves me. She wants to marry me,' he said with a frown coming to his face. 'Why do I always end up hurting someone? I'm such an asshole,' he scolded himself.

He pulled up to the house and just sat there on his bike. He turned it off and looked up at the night sky. It was clear. He assumed it was a new moon that night due to him only seeing the stars twinkling in the sky.

The clean summer air filled his lungs as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He exhaled and bowed his head, running his hands through his hair. He picked his head back up to look at the house in front of him. Then, he finally swung his leg over his motorcycle and began his walk to the front door.

He stopped with his face within inches of the entrance and swallowed. "Please," he whispered with fear. He clenched a fist and knocked on the door three times.

He waited with his hands resting in his black pants' pockets. Then, the door opened. He looked up with a sincere gaze. "Hey," he said softly.

"Ichigo… what are you doing here?" she asked with wide eyes.

He stood there in front of the door without letting much emotion leak through. "You were right," he began. "I shouldn't kiss you when I'm engaged to someone else," he said in an even tone.

Rukia felt her lungs lose all the air she had sucked in. There were no words for her to say.

He shook his head. "And I realized what I was doing to Senna wasn't right either," he began to explain. "She wants to marry me," he stated. "She loves me," he added before he paused.

"But I can't love her back." He let a sad frown show on his face; the first expression she had seen him show. "So I ended it with Senna," he said evenly.

Rukia could only stare. She was still speechless.

"How can I let her be with someone who can't give her everything she deserves?" He looked at her with fierce eyes. He saw her nose was slightly red. She was still recovering from crying.

Rukia let herself swallow. She had to stay strong now. "What does this mean to me, Ichigo?" she asked with no weakness present in her voice. She was thankful for that.

He took a step closer to her; now inside the house. He stood inches away from her. She could feel his breathing against her skin and tried to stay focused as it caused shivers to shoot up and down her spine. He locked his eyes with hers. "It means that I can finally admit that I love you and have no regrets."

He reached up and brushed a stray hair behind her ear. "And I am completely sure that what I feel is meant for you."

Rukia was taken aback. He was being so bold. He told her everything straight out and he was pleased that he had finally done what he should have done weeks ago when she asked him.

She continued to stare into his ambers and then a smile came to her face. She shook her head as her arms moved to cross over her chest. "Confident as ever."

"Would you rather I wasn't?" he asked with his own smirk coming into play.

She let out a chuckle. "Of course not. I love you and all your dumb characteristics even though most of them piss me off," she said with amusement.

His heart leapt when she said that. His smirk turned into a grin. "Say that again," he said with need.

Rukia raised an eyebrow at him. "What?" she asked in confusion.

"Say what you said again," he demanded again with hopeful eyes.

"You have dumb characteristics that piss me off?" she asked with a laugh.

He glared at her with a smile. "You know what I meant."

Rukia's grin fell into a soft smile as she met his calm eyes with her sincere ones. She was ready to say the words out loud and mean it. Something she thought she'd never experience again was now the future for her. And she would welcome it with open arms. "I love you."

With just those three words, he was set off. He quickly leaned in and caught her lips with his. Her eyebrows rose in response as her arms that were crossed over her chest began to separate as she slowly placed them behind his neck, drawing them closer.

Ichigo felt his blood boil in an amazing way. It was as if her simple declaration flipped a switch inside him and now all he wanted was to express himself to her.

With a quick motion, he picked her up off the ground, causing her to instinctively wrap her legs around his waist as the kissing became more passionate. His tongue played against her bottom lip as he waited for her grant him access. She immediately responded and opened her mouth as his tongue began to massage against hers.

He began to carry her towards the stairs as her hands played with the collar of his open suit jacket. By the time he was on the fourth step, she began to try and yank it off. He almost lost his balance and quickly slammed her up against the wall of the staircase. They mouths still connected and the push up against the wall only made it more thrilling as their bodies with pushed tightly together. Ichigo took it into his own hands and blindly took off his jacket and threw it on the stairs behind him. He then pulled her away from the wall and began the journey to her bedroom once again.

As they reached the top of the stairs he began to lose his balance once again and ended up slamming his back into the wall beside her bedroom door. He moaned as her fingers moved down his chest with tantalizing slowness. He pulled himself away from the wall and swung into the room next to him.

Ichigo let her fall to her feet as they both stood there trying to catch their breath; their eyes staring intensely into each other. Rukia then reached brought her hands to his red dress shirt and began to undo the buttons with no rush as her eyes remained on Ichigo's. He watched the amusement in her eyes and a smirk beginning to form across her delicious lips. He licked his lips at the thought and tried to remain patient at her tormenting movements.

She finally finished the last button and let her palms rest flatly against his abdomen. Her breath hitched as she remembered his perfectly fit body and the way his muscles felt beneath her fingertips. She let her hands slid up to his chest with more teasing slothfulness. His eyes began to roll.

As her hands came close towards his necktie, she left his chiseled chest and pulled him down to her lips with his tie. As soon as he met het, his eagerness grew. His patience was wearing down. He brought his hands to her back and quickly unzipped her red bride's maid dress. His fingers slid up her back to her neck as he continued to kiss her with all his might. He then let his fingers slide from her neck down to her shoulders where he gave her off the shoulder straps a slight push. Gravity took over and allowed it to freely fall into a pile at her feet. She shivered from the sudden exposure, but also from his fingers tracing down her bare spine.

She pulled on his red dress shirt to completely remove it, getting Ichigo's attention to help remove it. He threw it at the wall in two quick movements and brought his hands to her face as their tongues still battled it out.

Rukia's hands quickly undid his belt and yanked it out from around his waist in only a few seconds. She was becoming impatient as well. She unbuttoned his pants and pulled them with enough force so that they fell to the floor.

She pulled on the waistband of his boxers with a light snap as he unclipped her bra in an instant causing her to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist once again. He smoothly carried her to the bed as his lips stayed focused on hers.

They laid on the bed as their perspiration grew and their bodies began to stick to one another. He moved his lips from hers and trailed down her neck, to her firm stomach until he was able to slide her laced underwear down and out of the way. He discarded his own undergarment quickly and met her lips again as he dragged his hands from her thighs to her face in an agonizing motion causing her to shiver underneath him.

He noticed this and felt a flush of satisfaction run through him. He took this moment to position himself as Rukia's fingers combed through his rebellious hair with need.

It was amazing really. Two hours ago, neither of them could have ever guessed they would be where they were now. They never believed they could be so intimate; so in tuned to one another ever again. It was both overwhelming and wonderful at the same time. So for the first time in many years, they allowed themselves to surrender to those feelings, forbidding the future and past to matter as much as present and held on to one simple thing... hope.

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So… that was different, huh? Haha. The amazing part about this is that you have no idea where I'm going from here. The possibilities are amazing. No cliffhanger, so that's good. Tell me how you felt about this chapter. Later


	23. Let Me Sign

**A/N:** Merry Be-lated Christmas. "Let Me Sign," by Robert Pattinson. Start song where you see "SSS." Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Never.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 23: Let Me Sign_

His eyes opened groggily. Every morning he was still just as surprised as the first to wake up next to the girl he thought was only in his dreams.

The light bed sheet wrapped loosely around her slender body, her leg folded on top revealing her creamy skin to him and only him. His smile grew more as the sight he was so grateful to behold was his and his alone. She slept soundly as always with her lips slightly parted.

He watched every morning with satisfaction and appreciation. His fingers slid gently up her bare back causing her to shiver in her sleep. He smirked and then bent down to place his lips against hers softly. Every morning he did this and every morning she would smile after his lips left hers and snuggle into her pillow. This morning did not disappoint him.

Ichigo pulled himself out of bed and jumped into the shower. Rukia wasn't going to be up and interacting with the world for a few more hours. She was never a morning person. He knew that. So as he prepared himself for the coming day, she would sleep and he wouldn't mind. The night was always their most interactive time anyway.

As he threw on a pair of jogging shorts with no intention of exercising, he grabbed a wife beater and made his way downstairs.

For the past few weeks he had been basically living in Rukia's lovely house. And for the past few weeks she had been nagging him about his overly messy behavior. It's not like she didn't know he was a slob; just that she forgot. She wasn't a neat freak herself, but she had her own comfort zone. Little did she know, he still snuck a drink out of the orange juice carton when she wasn't looking.

Ichigo wasn't really the type to brag, but his life was pretty damn perfect. In fact that is exactly what he said in a recent interview.

He was in love. What else could be expected?

His career was moving along beautifully. Never before has he had so much inspiration. She was his muse yet somehow he always knew she was.

Urahara wasn't surprised to hear the news they had started their relationship. He just smiled knowingly and gave an approving nod. Not like they cared if he approved, but still…

Their friends on the other hand were speechless. They never expected them to actually admit to each other they still had feelings. But it was an overwhelmingly happy response after the shock wore off.

"There's something I've been kinda curious of," Renji began. "Tell me you didn't while you were still engaged," Renji had demanded more than questioned. He was completely reclined back in Rukia's living room.

"Of course I didn't! I'm not that much of a sleazebag!" Ichigo defended himself.

"I'm surprised you had the decency to say that, Renji," Toushirou snickered before taking a sip of his coffee.

"It's gotta be due to Tatsuki kicking his ass in line," Ichigo laughed as Uryuu nodded in agreement, but then put in his input.

"But you know. He had a right to ask that, Ichigo. You basically started making out with Rukia before you even thought about ending your engagement."

"Shut up. I know," Ichigo mumbled with a sigh. He began to rub the back of his neck.

"Have you talked to Senna lately?" Uryuu followed up.

"No. I called to see how she was doing like a week ago, but she said she was too busy to talk."

Toushirou scoffed. "You broke the girl's heart. What do you expect?" he commented before taking another sip. Ichigo sent him a glare before bowing his head in guilt.

"By the way, where is Rukia?" Renji asked curiously as he sat up in the recliner.

"She's either still sleeping or writing."

"Sleeping? Its 1:30…" Toushirou said incredulously.

"It's Rukia…" Ichigo said in return with a chuckle.

Renji shook his head with a smile, but then proceeded to question Ichigo. "So how's this going for you?"

"What? You mean me and Rukia?"

"_Rukia and I_," a voice came from the doorway. There was a heavy sigh. "God, you'd think I would have gotten that drilled into his head by now," she said with annoyance yet humor. She sat down on the arm of the chair Ichigo was sitting in.

Ichigo rolled his eyes before pulling her onto his lap quickly. Rukia's eyes grew wide as she threw her arms around his neck from being startled. The orange haired man smirked at her response.

She whacked him in the chest with the back of her hand. "You ass! Don't scare me like th-"

"Shh," he said before pulling her face to his and kissing her on the lips. Her riled up body tensed, but slowly melted into him before his lips pulled away from hers.

"Morning," he said softly with a gentle smile.

Rukia sighed with a soft smile in return and shook her head at his behavior. "Good morning to you too." They continued to stare sweetly into the other's eyes.

"Um, we're still here…" Uryuu interrupted.

Ichigo frowned and turned to look at him. "Well maybe you shouldn't be."

The raven haired woman hit the back of his head before removing her arms from around his neck. She directed her words at Uryuu. "I came down to say hi to you guys. I'm taking a short break."

"Writing?" Toushirou asked somewhat curiously, receiving a nod in confirmation.

"I'm on a roll," she said happily. "Which is good because my next chapter is due tomorrow. So…" she added with a small sigh.

"Anywhere close?" Uryuu asked feeling the stress from her words.

She took a deep breath. "Um, maybe?" She laughed.

"Then _maybe_ you should get on that," Renji suggested.

Rukia sent him a glare. "Well excuse me for taking a break to say 'hello'."

"Sounds like you should avoid the courteousness," Ichigo said more to himself than to anyone else. Rukia turned to glare at him, in which he smiled innocently at her.

"Sounds like you're screwed," Renji added, which immediately moved the glare from the orange headed man to the redhead.

"Well I appreciate it, Rukia," Uryuu said kindly.

She smiled at him sweetly. "Why thank you, Uryuu." She pulled herself off of Ichigo's lap.

"Ass kisser," Renji commented before taking a chug of his drink.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "I have to go now. You guys going out?"

"Um, probably. Renji heard something about a Rock Band tournament at the mall. Since Toushirou over there is freakishly good at guitar, we figured we'd go win it," Ichigo said with a smirk. The rest of the men chuckled.

Rukia raised an eyebrow as she stared back at the object of her affection. Her hands found their way to her hips at some point. "Shouldn't you be better than him?"

"Hey! Real guitar is _not_ the same!" he defended himself.

She shook her head and then looked between the three of them. "You're all going to play a video game in the middle of a mall? Do you realize how suicidal that is?"

"It actually could be worse than what you're thinking. Its being broadcasted on some satellite TV channel," Uryuu added.

Rukia chuckled at the stupidity and then turned to direct her words at Ichigo. "I'm warning you now. I don't want you coming back with complaints of some girl touching you inappropriately. Because you deserve whatever you get," she said turning and walking toward her destination.

"What about if some guy does the touching?" Ichigo yelled over his shoulder with a smirk as the rest laughed.

"Then I guess you won't be coming back, huh?" she yelled back before completely going out of earshot.

"What the hell does that mean?" Ichigo asked with confusion.

"Means you're gay, bro," Renji interpreted.

* * *

"You know what? You are a genius, Toushirou," Ichigo admitted with shock.

"I know. They won't even register that it's us until you start singing into that fake microphone," he replied with a grin.

"Seriously. I would have never thought about _not _wearing a disguise. It's the last thing people expect, I guess," Renji reasoned as the three of them walked towards the middle of the mall.

"Yeah. And there are so many people who are dumb enough to dye their hair orange nowadays just to look like this dumbass over here," Uryuu commented pointing his thumb toward Ichigo.

"Screw you."

"So Renji's got the drums and I'll get the bass," Uryuu ignored Ichigo and pointed out the huddle of people surrounding the stage.

"You guys ready to do this?" Renji asked as they each stared at their destination.

Ichigo smirked. "This is gonna be pretty kickass."

* * *

"So, next up we have… The Heart Breaking Angels!" the announcer yelled.

The four made their way on stage. "Who the hell picked _that_ name?" Ichigo whispered into Toushirou's ear.

"Renji," he whispered back with annoyance.

"And he called _me_ gay?" Ichigo replied before taking their places near their instruments.

The announcer spoke into the microphone again. "First song, 'Beat It,' by Michael Jackson!"

"Nice," Ichigo commented to himself as the projected screen changed to the game screen.

The three of them played their notes right on queue when they came, but once the words came and Ichigo's voice resonated through a large portion of the infrastructure, people began to murmur into conversations. It took them about ten seconds before the first girl screamed. This enveloped into cheering.

Once the song ended, the four of them turned around to face the audience, away from the screen. Everyone continued to cheer as they put up their award winning smiles.

The announcer was having trouble finding words. "That was- shocking! And amazing!" He held the microphone out to Toushirou without knowing why.

"Um, we just hope you don't judge us any differently," he said with a smile and a chuckle. He gave Ichigo a side glance as his toy guitar hung in front of him still.

The announcer then moved to Ichigo. "Y-yeah," Ichigo agreed. "Just because I'm known to hit a few good notes, doesn't mean I'll hit the right ones," he added with a chuckle.

"We'll keep that in mind!" The announcer turned towards the camera. "I hope they are playing this live!" he said almost through gritted teeth as he continued to smile eagerly.

"You guys have moved onto the next round!" he announced immediately.

Ichigo turned to stare at Uryuu and Renji slightly behind him and Toushirou. "So much for being judged fairly," he said with a roll of his eyes.

* * *

"Ah!" she yelled as she stretched back in her chair. "Yes!" she said with her arms stretching straight up in the air. "Done and sent," she commented as the email was sent to her editor.

She turned and grabbed the remote on her bed. With a quick click, she then threw the remote back on her bed as the TV turned on. She went into her closet and began to get clothes out so she could take a relaxing shower.

"_News just in! Not only has one of our most adored media men been spotted at a local mall, but three of his closest friends, who are equally adored by us, were seen with him! Ichigo Kurosaki, Uryuu Ishida, Renji Abarai, and Toushirou Hitsugaya are currently one of the finalists in a local Rock Band tournament. Here's live footage of this fascinating event!"_

Rukia slowly walked out of her closet with her mouth slightly ajar as her eyes focused on the television. "You've got to be kidding me."

On the screen were the four men totally engrossed in the competition with the crowd dying over the four's every breath. It looked like a real concert. Ichigo blew a kiss to someone in the audience.

She raised an eyebrow and shook her head as she made her way to her bathroom. "Not one complaint, Ichigo Kurosaki," she warned as if he could here her.

* * *

"I can't believe we got second!" Ichigo said throwing himself down on the bed. He wore only a pair of boxers as he stared at the ceiling. "They totally cheated!"

Rukia walked into the room from her closet in a light blue silk night gown. She posed slightly seductively, but raised an eyebrow at his complete obliviousness.

"I mean, no way that girl hit five notes at the same time! Not possible!" he argued to himself as he shook his head.

Rukia smirked at the ridiculousness of the situation and decided to lean against the doorframe and see how long it would take him to realize anything.

"I'd believe four notes, but not five! You can only use four fingers as the thumb holds up the neck. Four buttons – four fingers. Four buttons – five fingers, doesn't make any sense!" he exclaimed in annoyance yet with a smirk. He then sat up to see her, "Can you believe this?"

His eyes then saw her and his current thoughts diminished in an instant. "Whoa."

"Finally," she said with a chuckle. "I'm glad you had fun playing you're little game today," she said tilting her head to the side and leaning off of the wood. "Tired?" she asked innocently walking towards him slowly.

His eyebrows rose as he watched her make her way toward him. He shook his head back and forth eagerly. He couldn't form words at that moment.

"Really?" she asked with a smirk as she sat on the edge of her bed. She looked over her shoulder at him with seducing eyes. "Because I'm exhausted," she said smoothly with a smirk and began to get under the covers.

Ichigo's eyes went wide and then he grinned and shook his head. "Uh-uh," he said rolling her over and hovering over her. She laughed underneath him as he began to kiss her jawbone and then her neck.

"It's just like you to wear something like _that_ and then want to go to sleep," he said before capturing her lips. "Cruel woman."

She continued to laugh as he continued to cause her to shiver. Her eyes stared at the ceiling as she felt the urge to speak. "I have a question."

"Yes, I _was_ touched inappropriately today. And yes, I _would_ have rather it been you," he said with a smirk against her perfect skin.

"I told you no complaining," she chuckled. "But I'm serious."

Ichigo froze to his displeasure and stared down into her violet eyes. "Okay…?"

"Well actually, more of a favor," she corrected herself.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you trying to persuade me into something with sex?"

Rukia's eyes widened and then she began to laugh.

"I don't see what's so funny."

SSS

"It's funny because it kind of looks that way, doesn't it?"

"Kinda," he said with a smirk. "I'm guessing its not… even though I would have been perfectly fine with it."

"It's more sentimental," she corrected. "Even though it's taking some of the meaning out of it the more we talk about how I'm using sex against you, even though I'm not."

"Rukia, just say it," he said softly as he began to kiss her cheek and then her forehead and then her other cheek.

"I want you to remember me like I am right now."

He froze and then pulled away to get a better look at her. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head as if she was frazzled to get into detail. "I don't know. Its just we've been so amazing lately and I know something bad usually happens when things are _too_ good. And I'm just- just-"

"Hey," Ichigo interrupted softly as he stared caringly down at her. His amber eyes made her whole world stop. "There's nothing left to ruin us." He began to chuckle. "I think the universe has used absolutely everything it had already. And guess what?" he asked with a small, warm smile.

"What?" Rukia asked softly.

"Look where we are after all of it."

_Standing by, a broken tree  
Her hands are all twisted, she's pointing at me._

_I was damned by light coming  
All that I see_

Rukia stared up at him with nothing but love radiating off of her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer. Their lips met gently until she pulled away and pulled him into an embrace.

Ichigo was surprised, but wrapped his arms around her instinctively and held her tightly.

_She spoke with a voice and  
Looked up at the sky  
She said hold on lover yeah don't be ashamed_

Her eyes were closed with her eyebrows furrowed. "Please just remember me like this," she practically begged into his ear. "With nothing in our way from being in each other's arms."

_I will wrap you in my arms  
And know that you'll be safe_

_Let me sign  
_

Ichigo frowned and pulled her tighter against him. Then, they pulled back and let their eyes meet fiercely.

Violet versus amber.

And as if to further this picture meant to be saved forever in the vault, their lips met eagerly as their hands held on to each other with desperateness.

_Let me sign._

* * *

"Why the hell are you up?" Ichigo groaned as he rubbed his eye. The clock read 8:32. It wasn't a mistake.

Rukia was dressed in a pair of jeans and a simple t-shirt. She began to put on her sneakers as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I have to meet with my editor. I sent in my chapter last night."

He groaned again and then sat up.

"You don't have to get up, you know," she commented with a chuckle.

"No avoiding it now."

"Sorry," she apologized with sincerity.

He waved a hand at her and yawned. "No problem. You'll have to make it up to me somehow," he smirked.

She chuckled. "I guess I will."

He reached for the remote on the bedside table and hit the button before rolling his shoulders in a circle. He let his neck roll along his shoulders as well and felt satisfaction as he heard the crack of his joints. He sighed as his eyes remained closed.

"I'll be back soon," she said kissing him quickly on the lips, which startled him.

"Bye," he said when she was already out the door.

He looked at the television and saw the news anchor talking about some charity event being held at a prestigious hotel. Ichigo smiled at the children on the screen who waved at the camera enthusiastically.

His phone buzzed on the table next to him. Leaning over to stare at the screen, he read he had missed four calls from the clinic his father ran back in his home town. Or rather the house he grew up in. Figuring it was his irritating father just calling to harass him, he would call him back later. Delaying the inevitable was his specialty.

"Ugh! I forgot my wallet," Rukia said in annoyance, coming back into the room in a rush.

"_In further news, renowned serial killer, Sosuke Aizen, has been released from prison due to, listen to this, __**good behavior**__. Not only has he apparently changed his ways in only a little over a decade of his sentence, but he has stated that he 'will commit his life to following the Lord.' Here is footage of Aizen leaving his imprisonment behind him earlier today. Further information will be available soon. Moving on to our next…"_

Rukia stood staring at the screen; her mouth ajar. Her heart began to race. Slowly, she turned and faced Ichigo. The sight she saw scared her more than the news on the screen.

His features; the way his jaw was perfectly set, the way his nostrils were slightly flared, the way his chest was expanded, and the way his eyes remained narrow and hollow; it was reminder of something she remembered too well. His warm smile from moments ago turned into this cold stare. She was afraid. Not about the new information, but about losing him to this turn of events. She had already lost him once before.

"Ichigo," she said in nothing short of a whisper. She approached him slowly. Her hand extended towards him, but she hesitated. He wasn't there in front of her. He was somewhere else.

"Ichigo," she repeated again with a bit more strength. She was trying to be strong. She had to be. Building up her courage, she sat down on the bed next to him and brought her hand to his cheek softly.

His ambers moved slowly to meet her. His head followed shortly. Again their eyes met.

Violet versus amber.

She tried to hold back the tears that began to form. Memories swarmed her blurry vision.

"_Do you expect me to be happy?! My past was thrown back into my face and you expect me to live like nothing happened?!"_

"_No, I expect you to live! Look at yourself! You're a mess!" she paused. Her voice became softer. "__**I'm**__ a mess."_

Years ago, he had faced his mother's murderer's reappearance and ran off in search of vengeance. His mind was filled with only one notion and everything else came second. That's when she first lost his heart. That's when he first broke her heart.

_She brought her hands to his chest and gripped his thin black t-shirt into her fists as she bent her head down to the floor. "You can't keep doing this to me. If you're going to keep leaving… stop coming back." She was silent for a moment, "You've changed so much…"_

Nightmares haunted her in clear daylight. They were grabbing a hold of her as his cold, piercing eyes began to stab her heart slowly, but surely.

"_I'm going to take the first bus out of here tomorrow morning… but I'm not going unless you tell me to," she stared deep into his eyes and she thought she saw the slightest bit of emotion._

"_Go."_

She swallowed hard. "Please Ichigo," she began. Her voice cracked a little. "Don't leave me again," her voice said so softly. She was so vulnerable as he continued to stare back into her.

"How?" he whispered. She let him finish. "How is… how is that possible? How is he free?" He shook his head and then stared off into nothing. "I don't understand," his voice was emotionless.

"I don't know," Rukia said weakly as she seemed to have no existence in her own bedroom.

He looked back at his phone on the nightstand. He held it in his hand as he registered his father's phone calls. He frowned at his foolishness. Without another word to Rukia or another glance, he dialed his old phone number.

She sat there with his back turned to her. Her chest felt heavy. Everything was falling apart. And she could do nothing but watch. Just like in the past. History was repeating itself.

"Go to your meeting, Rukia," Ichigo said coldly.

"No, I think I'm going to-"

"I'm fine without you."

His words were cold and as much as she knew he didn't mean it the way she took it, it couldn't be helped. It was the beginning of a burn that had already engulfed her soul years ago. Yet all she could do was stand up slowly and make her way out of her house silently.

In a minute's time, the universe had turned on her. There _was_ something left that could ruin them. She knew how this ended. No matter how much she wanted to believe that Ichigo had changed, he was still that stubborn boy. That boy that believed in justice and doing what was right. She saw him turning his back on her and walking away in an agonizing pace. She couldn't think positive. There was rarely ever something good that happened to them. The worst part of it all is that it was as if she saw it coming.

Each step she took as she descended from the stairs was heavier than the last. His willing heart was shielded. And finding her way around it was something she could never do. It was only until he put down his defenses that they were given the chance again.

Her hands clenched into fists. "What do I do?" she asked herself softly before opening her front door. She turned and looked back up the stairs she had come from. She stared as if she could see him sitting on the bed with lack of feeling. And then, she turned around and closed the door behind her.

'_Why is it that no one ever hears a single drop of rain? It is only until a thousand drops fall when they are finally heard. But why is it that when a thousand hearts are falling, that isn't heard? If no one can hear that, how will a single heart be heard?'_

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ok. I figured I would just get to the point without saying much before the chapter. So I'll speak now. I'm so sorry. :( I'm a terrible person. I seriously took five whole months to get you the next chapter. I am a complete asshole. Let me bitch about myself for a bit. I seriously have been so angry at not being able to write this story. I've gotten the occasional review or alert from someone for this or These Days and I want to punch myself. While I wasn't writing these two stories:

I was writing two other completely unrelated stories that are original. The one friend that I allow to read my stuff was complaining that I should just finish up this one – which has alternate names and character descriptions, which I allow her to read.

Also, senior year is ridiculous. I finished my damn applications and essays and all that other bull, while people are pulling me out of my solitude and saying "Let's go do something!" Damn them. Damn them all.

Okay. So now that I'm done complaining. Hah – I'm Ichigo, only I wish some guy was touching me inappropriately… Kidding. But seriously. That was a rant and I hardly expect everyone to read about my so-called issues. So if you've made it this far: Congratulations! You're a winner! Of what? I'll have to get back to you on that.

Now, about this story! I've finally brought up some plot! Of course the emotions are going to overflow again but we've got something new feeding it! Love was in the air and then – BAM. I killed it. Or did I? Will Rukia find the strength to do what she couldn't years ago? Will Ichigo be a man and let go of the past? Will there be happiness in the end??? Find out next chapter in Run To You!!! Later


	24. Almost Lover

**A/N:** Fast update! Yes! Very exciting! This is called, "Almost Lover," by A Fine Frenzy. Beautiful song. If you know the song, don't judge the chapter by the sound of it. It may or may not go as you think. Anyways. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Almost…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 24 – Almost Lover_

'Wasn't coffee supposed to make you perky?' That's what she thought as she sipped the caffeinated beverage at a small table that herself and three friends crowded around.

Her meeting yesterday with her editor ended up being all day and she didn't get home until well after midnight. Ichigo was already out like a light when she walked through the bedroom door.

He was gone when she woke up this morning. And to top it all off, he wasn't answering his cell phone.

"Rukia!"

She snapped out of her daze. "What?" she said more bitterly than she intended.

Rangiku sat back in surprise. "What crawled up your ass?"

"We've been calling you for the past ten seconds," Orihime added calmly.

The raven haired woman let a fake laugh escape from her lips. "Sorry. I'm a little stressed."

"What's wrong?" Momo asked with a sympathizing face.

Rukia laughed again as if it was no big deal. She waved her hand in a simple gesture. "Don't worry about it. I've been stressing over my plot." It wasn't a lie per say; more of a metaphor.

"Anything we can do to help?" Orihime asked perkily.

Rukia shook her head with a kind smile. "I have to sort this out. If I don't…" Her face fell into a frown as she shook her head slowly. "I go back to the beginning."

Momo slammed her hands on the table causing everyone to jump slightly. "You can't start over! You've put your heart and soul into this!"

Rukia gave a chuckle. "Tell me about it."

"You were so happy about it a day or two ago," Rangiku commented before sipping her coffee.

Rukia watched as she slowly turned her coffee cup around in a circle on the table. "A lot can happen in a day or two," she said softly.

"Maybe you need a night out," Rangiku said with a grin. "Should spark something in that creative mind of yours."

"Yeah, I don't really think that's the best-" the writer began to disagree.

"That's our point. Your current thought process isn't helping. So what you _think_ isn't a good idea, really is an _amazing_ idea," Momo debated with a smirk. Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Actually Rukia, they might be right," Orihime agreed.

"Even you?" Rukia exclaimed in surprise. Orihime was never one to support this kind of outing.

"You're stressed. If you let off a little steam, maybe it'll clear your thoughts and give you a breakthrough," Orihime reasoned.

Orihime would have won her over with that logical response… if Rukia was having trouble with her literal story. But she couldn't run away from her real stressor. She needed to have her mind wrapped around the situation every second of the day. She had to prevent the past from reoccurring.

"I know you guys think it's a great idea, but I know what I'm doing. I've been in this situation before. I have to keep focused. There isn't time for taking a break," Rukia explained firmly.

"You're going to cause yourself to have a heart attack at the age of twenty-two," Rangiku argued.

"Then bring on the meds," Rukia joked with a straight face.

"Seriously, you can't push yourself this hard," Momo tried to reason with her.

"Sure I can. I've done it plenty of times," Rukia responded coldly.

Orihime began to place her hand on Rukia's forearm. Her hand was still gripping her coffee cup. "Rukia, please. Just come out with us tonig-"

Just as Orihime began to touch Rukia's skin, the raven haired woman swung her arm up and stood up from her seat harshly. "I said I can handle it!" she yelled, shocking her three friends.

"Who are you trying to convince, Rukia?" Orihime asked softly with hurt eyes.

They stared directly into each other's eyes for an amount of time they were sure was longer than the real measurement. She wanted to tell her best friends. She wanted help. But what could they do? If he wouldn't even let her in, why would he let them?

"I don't need any help."

Rangiku rolled her eyes. "Yeah right."

"Shut up. If there is anyone that we should be worrying about, it's you," Rukia said staring directly at Rangiku.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked with a frown.

"Gin is still a drunk. You're still an alcoholic if you go to a bar and have a few drinks! How can you possibly say he isn't? That's _not_ being sober. He's still the same! And I bet if we asked you to strip down, we'd see at least two bruises," Rukia finally said what she wanted. It would only be later that she would feel the guilt for it. This was being said out of bitterness, not out of care.

Rangiku glared at her friend. "That's none of your business."

"And neither is this," Rukia said back bitterly with her glare meeting her friend.

Rukia closed her eyes and sighed. She shook her head. "Just leave me alone," she whispered as she slipped away and exited the café.

* * *

Her living room was silent. In fact, her whole house was silent. She came home from the café hours ago. It was hard to tell exactly how long it had been. Three hours? Four? Seven? It was unpredictable. All she knew was that it was still light out when she came home and now it was dark. She hadn't moved to turn on a light either.

She was waiting. He had to come back sooner or later… right? He was going to… right? There was that gnawing feeling in her stomach that told her it had happened before, why not again? The only thing she was able to do was sit there and hope that he really was a changed man. Once he came back, then it would be her turn to act.

'I don't have a choice. No matter what happens, I have to get through to him. I have to fight for him. I have to win this time. I can't bear to lose again,' she continued to torment herself.

"_I'm drained, Ichigo. I… can't do this anymore. I want you in my life so much, but if you're going to just watch life pass you by… then I don't think I can watch it with you."_

'I tested him back then. I thought maybe if I threatened him with leaving, he'd stop me. I thought he would hold me tight and beg me not to go. It was childish, I guess. Thinking he would be weak and that I was something so wonderful in his life that he wouldn't want to abandon.'

"_I'm going to take the first bus out of here tomorrow morning… but I'm not going unless you tell me to."_

'I gave him the choice. I thought it would kill him to tell me to leave; to tell me he didn't want me anymore. I was so confident; so absorbed in the idea that we were nothing without each other. I even put myself in his position. If he had given me the choice, I knew exactly how it would have ended. I would have been crying in his arms telling him how much I needed him. And after living those beginning years thinking how alike we were, I finally saw how wrong I was. With one word, he changed my life.'

"_Go."_

'And with one word, he broke me. It was only until recently when he made me whole again. Now, as I see my life as a broken record; repeating with a bitter annoyance, I pray to stay in one piece.'

In the dark, her memory worked overtime. She could picture the images so easily; so heartbreakingly real. No matter how many times she said she let the past go, it always came back. It always had reason to.

"_Do you want me to say I'm sorry? Fine! I'm sorry! I have a lot of things going through my mind lately! Don't expect me to think straight!"_ she heard his youthful voice in the dark.

"_Kept the past behind us? Are you serious, Ichigo? You thought we could shake hands and introduce ourselves like nothing happened? So much has happened; so much between us. I was afraid to see you again,"_ she pictured herself say the first night she had talked to him in two years.

"_Why were you afraid?"_

"_I didn't want to feel that pain again."_

That pain was so easy to identify. He could cause her so much hurt, but yet, he could be the cause for so much happiness. No matter how much she tried to disagree with it throughout the years, he ruled over her life. Everything circulated around him. She used to hate that; not being able to live the way she wanted to because the effect he had on her. But now, it wasn't a crutch. It was something she lived with and was learning to manipulate. She had to keep him the way she fell in love with him; out of the darkness.

Then, the silence was broken. The door stumbled open and she immediately found herself on her feet and down the hallway to the front door. She stopped when she found him six feet away, looking through the drawer on the small table next to the door.

He picked up the keys he found and shut the drawer before standing straight up. He didn't turn, but instead, just stood there facing the small table.

"What are you doing in the dark?" he asked stoically.

She took a deep breath. His voice was another indicator of the past. "Waiting," she answered softly.

He turned to face her. He placed his hands in his pockets, tilting his head to the side. "Just for me?" he asked coldly, but sarcastically.

"No, I'm waiting for a package," Rukia challenged bitterly. She rolled her eyes. "Why haven't you answered your phone or texted me back?"

"I've been busy."

"Bullshit. It takes ten seconds. 'Hey Rukia, I'm out with the guys. I'm fine. I'll see you at home.' That's all I needed and you couldn't even give me that," Rukia argued.

Ichigo glared and shook his head as he took a step towards the door. "I don't need this. I come back and I get yelled at. I feel like I'm a teenager again."

"Well you're acting like one! Stop acting like the people who love you are the worst people in your life! I'm not supposed to be lecturing you, Ichigo!"

"Then stop it!" he yelled back finally. The house fell silent again. Rukia stared at him feeling good about finally getting some emotion out of him. But making him angrier at her wasn't something to celebrate about. He stared at the floor before looking back up at her. The moonlight shined through the windows next to the door.

"I want you to stop," Ichigo said softly. "You're worrying, I get that. Just let it go."

"I can't! You don't understand! I can't-" she exclaimed with her voice breaking once.

"You have to," he interrupted softly. He took in a great amount of air through his nose as his eyes made sure to stay with hers. "It hurts more if you don't stop," he admitted.

He stared at her with his heart aching at the sight of her. 'Why is she putting herself through this again? She still thinks she can help me, but all she ever does is hurt herself more. And when she is in pain, it kills me. That's what happened back then. That's why I let her go. I didn't want to see her that way. I would let her go in an instant to keep her away from the pain; no matter how much farther it'll pull me down.'

Then, he turned around and gripped the doorknob.

"Where are you going?" she asked urgently.

Ichigo paused and turned back around. "I have to go to the recording studio. I came back to grab the eclipse because it has my music in the trunk," he explained.

"Oh," Rukia said relaxing her stance. Relief flooded through her. "So… you're coming back?"

He nodded. "In a few hours. I'm not doing a session. Just fixing some things."

"Okay," she said which caused him to turn around and open the door.

"Ichigo," she called. He turned in the doorway and answered with his stare. She continued. "Can we talk when you get home? I… haven't talked to you in over a day and we live in the same house," she said with a single chuckle.

He stared silently at her for a second; one that Rukia felt lasted for a lifetime. "Yeah. Sure," he answered softly with a slight smile. 'Say anything to make her happy.'

She smiled back in the same manner. "I'll see you later then."

He gave a nod and then was out the door. The walk to his car was slow. What was he going to do? Rukia wanted him to talk to her. How could he possibly do that? He never knew how to. That's why everything happened those few years ago.

He got in his car and started it as he drove down her driveway. She seemed to need to know what he was thinking. But how could she possibly understand? Better yet, why was he so easily affected by this news? Why couldn't he just let it go?

He hit the breaks hard and his heart raced in his chest. His breathing was heavy. He forgot to look when coming out of the driveway and a car came flying around the turn. She always warned him of that and he almost paid the price. He took a few more deep breaths and decided to focus on the road, at least until he arrived at the studio.

* * *

"Can you explain something to me?" Urahara asked in an amused way.

"What?" Ichigo growled as he sat on the piano bench. He was trying notes out over and over again but wasn't getting what he wanted.

"Well, first, since you brought the question to mind, why does it seem like you are so annoyed whenever I speak to you?" he asked with a grin.

"Because I'm annoyed whenever you speak to me," Ichigo answered without taking his focus off of the piano keys.

His manager feinted being hurt, "How cruel." He then moved on as if nothing happened. "So why is it you are working yourself to the bone on a day that I specifically said should be your day off?"

"Because you're an asshole. Why is it that you continue to bother me when I am trying to work?" he responded coldly.

"Because someone has to," Urahara answered with a grin.

"I'm already getting that from Rukia."

"Well then someone has to do it and not give into your infectious charm," he answered sarcastically. "You're not a very pleasant person to be around, Ichigo," Urahara said a bit more bluntly.

Ichigo stopped playing all of a sudden. He turned slowly and stared up at his manager. "Should I be the life of the party? Should I be all smiles?"

"Well you shouldn't be this miserable piece of feces," he answered even more bluntly.

Ichigo huffed. "There's a good reason why I'm not in the happiest of moods."

"And what reason might that be?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"It's not even a secret, Ichigo," Urahara stated. "It's been on multiple news networks and an hour ago some reporter figured out your mother was-"

"Shut up," the orange headed man interrupted softly. "I said I didn't want to talk about it," he said with weak eyes.

Urahara stared down at the boy he watched grow into a man. He knew this man as if he was family and he looked after him as if he were his nephew. He was the closest thing he had to a son.

He remembered one time when he was watching him for his parents who went out to dinner. He was teaching this boy to make a paper airplane, but the little orange headed boy cut his finger. The paper cut stung and his eyes began to fill with tears as he stared up at Urahara. Looking down at the helpless boy made the older man feel as if there was nothing he could do. The boy was trying not to cry with all of his might.

He knelt down on one knee to be at eye level and placed his hands on both shoulders of the little boy. Then, he spoke. "It's okay. You're only human."

The little boy let a tear fall from his eye but then wiped it with the back of his hand. "It hurts," he said with a sniff.

"Hang in there, little guy. You're strong. The pain will eventually go away. I promise."

Staring at this grown up boy made him feel exactly like he did then. He felt the pain through his amber eyes. What could he do though? He couldn't tell him everything was okay. He knew he was a mess. He knew he couldn't do anything.

"Then when are you going to talk about it, Ichigo?" he asked softly with a firm stare.

There was a pause as Ichigo felt his blockade falter. His hand formed into a fist. "I can't deal with it again, Urahara. I'm not strong enough. I'm weak and-"

"Never say that," the older man interrupted. "You're anything but weak. You've always been strong."

"No. I never was," he answered. "It was fake. A mask."

"Saying you are weak is proof enough that you aren't. You've always strived to be stronger," Urahara explained.

"Then if I'm so strong why can't I get past this? Why do I always end up messing up everything?" he asked with a pained voice. "Why does it still hurt?"

Urahara stared down at him and locked his eyes sternly with him. "You need to learn what's best for you; what you have to do in order to live with yourself in order to let it all go."

"I've tried that before and I learned the wrong thing," Ichigo responded with a frown.

"Then you should know what the right thing is then."

Ichigo bowed his head to his lap. Did he really know what was right? He lived through his wrong decision. Did that make the opposite so just?

"I've made so many mistakes. What if I make them again?" he asked with a soft voice as his head remained bowed.

"You're only human." Ichigo's head popped up as he stared into his manager's eyes. Urahara smiled down at him. "No matter what," he began as he placed his hand on one of Ichigo's shoulders. "The pain will eventually go away. I promise."

Ichigo stared at him sadly as his lips formed a small smile. Urahara was always a sneaky, immature man that many found they rolled their eyes at every other thing he said or did. But there were the occasional moments in his life that reminded him that Urahara Kisuke was someone he looked up to greatly.

"Thank you," Ichigo whispered softly.

"Now take the day off, damn it. Your brother should be back in town today. Go see him. You're so damn stubborn," Urahara said in a stern voice but grinned as he walked out of the recording room.

Ichigo watched him leave and shook his head as he let out a chuckle. "Still an asshole."

* * *

She sat at the kitchen counter with her empty bowl of cereal sitting in front of her. Well, it wasn't exactly empty. The milk remained. She was never the type to drink the milk afterwards. She sat there because her mind had wandered and she had yet to go dump it down the sink.

It was ten o'clock now. He left about three hours ago. Again, she found herself waiting. She needed him to talk to her. That was the only way to solve this.

"Rukia?" came a yell from the front door. She got up calmly and walked into the hallway and found him putting the keys back in the drawer. That was the only set they kept in that drawer. Ichigo would never put his motorcycle keys in there. They were on him at all times.

"Hey," she said softly, causing him to turn around.

"Hey," he said in the same manner.

There was an awkward silence between them. "How was the recording?" she asked politely.

"Good, good," he said nodding his head and placing his hands in his pockets.

Silence engulfed them again. Rukia had to start it. She knew he wasn't going to jump into anything. "Ichigo, I want you to tell me what you're thinking. What's going on in that head of yours? You haven't said anything to me since you found out that he got out of prison."

"What do you want me to say?" he asked calmly.

"Anything," Rukia urged.

Ichigo took a breath. This was it. This was the moment where he had to choose between right and wrong. It wasn't a matter of what he wanted; that was simple enough. It was whether he was able to do it or not.

"I-" he began but then paused. He took another breath. "I felt like the happiness I had been given was something I wasn't allowed to have. Like it should be ripped from me."

"Why?" Rukia asked with a frown.

"Because," he began as he tried to find the words. "Because my mother is no longer getting the smallest thing possible that she should at least have. The man that took my mother from me is no longer where he should be."

"In jail?"

"Not just jail," he answered as he shook his head. "He's no longer paying for the cruelty he dealt. The misery he caused. He's out in the world just like everybody else and he's allowed to live. He took away my mother's right to live and now he's living in her stead," he finished with clenched teeth.

"I know how wrong this must feel. He doesn't seem to deserve it at all," Rukia began. "But the fact remains that you don't have the decision of who gets to live and who doesn't."

"Neither does he!" Ichigo replied quickly with more force.

"You're right, he doesn't," Rukia replied with force. "But someone thought that he paid for what he did and deserves a second chance. Someone saw something good in him."

"My mother deserves a second chance too, but she's not getting one," Ichigo said fiercely.

Rukia tried to remain calm. He was so angry; so full of hatred. "No matter how much you hate him, there isn't anything you can do, Ichigo," she said softly. It was said as if she was breaking terrible news to him that he had no idea about.

"Of course there is."

She stared at him with shock. "You are _not_ doing that."

He stared at her with slight confusion. "What?"

"Revenge on a man who has been released from prison is murder, Ichigo! You would be just like him!"

He looked at her in shock. "I'm not going to kill him! I'm not _that_ crazy!" he argued back.

"Then what are you talking about?" she exclaimed.

"I'm going to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else," he said determinedly.

She glared at him. "So you're going to stalk him now?" she asked in disbelief.

"If that's what it takes to keep others safe," he agreed.

"Have you lost your mind?" she exclaimed. "Think how crazy that sounds. Think how _obsessed_ that sounds!"

Ichigo shook his head and spoke more to himself than to her. "I wish you could understand."

"Ichigo, I do understand! My parents and sister died. They left my life all at the same time even if my sister wasn't dead yet. It's painful to think about them gone and it must have been painful to see the cause of that pain on TV, but you have to stay rational. No matter how wrong this feels, you have to accept it. Otherwise, you are no better than what he used to be," she tried to reason with him.

"Do you think he changed too? You think he's no longer a monster?" he questioned angrily.

"He must not be if they let him go," she admitted sadly. What else could she say? She had to trust that someone knew what they were doing when they let him out of his cell.

"I can't believe you're okay with this," Ichigo said with disappointment. "I needed you to side with me. I wanted your support. That's why I decided to speak my mind. I thought maybe I could actually do it this time. But right now, I find I'm regretting that decision," he spoke softly.

Rukia felt her chest cave in. Her eyes began to water, but she blinked it away and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I can't support your decision, but I'm still glad you finally talked me," she said almost in a whisper.

"That's not enough." He began to turn around and grab the doorknob, but before he could turn it, arms wrapped around his torso from behind. They squeezed and held on tight.

"Please don't leave me," she painfully whispered. He froze as it hit him. It was like the air was being knocked out of him. And as he felt the tears wet the back of his shirt, his heart fell lower into his body.

_Your fingertips across my skin  
The palm trees swaying in the wind  
Images_

"Please," she begged again. "I've dealt with one goodbye. I don't think I can do it again," she whimpered.

A silence filled the air, apart from her quiet crying. "Please," she said again.

Finally, he spoke. "I'll come back," he answered weakly.

"But you can't give into this!" she cried out. Tears continued to stream down her face. He placed his hands on top of hers and pulled them off slowly. He turned around and saw her red eyes and tearstained face. He let go of her hands and pulled her tightly against his body.

_You sang me Spanish lullabies  
The sweetest sadness in your eyes  
Clever trick_

She felt her heart leap as he held her close. This was what she wanted in the beginning. She wanted him to hold her and realize that their life together was more important than any agony. She let her cheek rest on his chest as his lips pressed against the top of her head. His eyes remained closed as he pulled his lips away from her silky hair.

_I never want to see you unhappy  
I thought you'd want the same for me_

"But I have to do this," he whispered.

Her eyes immediately started to tear up again and her head began to shake. "No," she said as he began to pull away from her. "No," she repeated. "No."

_Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?  
So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
I should've known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do_

"But I'll come back," he said feeling the lump in his throat from the sight of her.

She shook her head as another tear fell down her cheek. She swallowed as she found the courage to say the next words. "So I'd be waiting? That's all I ever do with you!" She took a deep breath.

Her hands began to shake as yet another crossroads was about to come. She reached her arm across her body and grabbed her wrist to steady herself."If you walk out now, it's the same as telling me to go," she said with strength as her voice shook.

He saw what he was doing to her. He tried to prevent her from getting hurt, but it seemed like it was inevitable as he stared back into her wide violet eyes. Those beautiful violets again tore holes in him. He couldn't tell her to wait. But he had to do this. He had to find this man. He had to see him with his own two eyes. 'I… don't want her to leave…'

_We walked along a crowded street  
You took my hand and danced with me  
Images_

He let out a deep breath slowly and closed his eyes for a few moments. He let it all soak in and took a large swallow. He opened his eyes and turned his head away from her.

_And when you left you kissed my lips  
You told me you'd never ever forget these images, no_

The word seemed to refuse to leave his throat, knowing exactly what it meant. But when it did, it was practically a whisper. "Go."

_I never want to see you unhappy  
I thought you'd want the same for me_

She stared at him with disbelief. It was something she didn't expect. That one word ripped her into pieces. That one word that scared her so much was used to break her once again.

"I rather you let me go if you're going to be hurt by my leaving. I still love you," he said with pained words.

_Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?  
So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
I should've known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do_

"No you don't," she replied quickly in an emotionless tone. "You can't," she shook her head. "Not if you're so willing to leave me." A lone tear fell down her stoic expression.

He frowned as his eyes filled up with water. She was numb and he could see that. "I love you more than anything," he said weakly. He swallowed. "I'm being selfish. I know that. But I need to do this in order to live with myself. And if I'm hurting you because of that," he paused as a tear fell down his cheek. "Then I don't deserve you."

_I cannot go to the ocean  
I cannot drive the streets at night  
I cannot wake up in the morning  
Without you on my mind  
So you're gone and I'm haunted  
And I bet you are just fine  
Did I make it that easy  
To walk right in and out of my life?_

He backed away from her and then reached for the doorknob again. He paused, but then turned it and opened the door. He looked back at her one last time over his shoulder, and then left.

_Goodbye, my almost lover  
Goodbye, my hopeless dream  
I'm trying not to think about you  
Can't you just let me be?  
_

She stood there feeling nothing. All the love that was in her life was gone. Sadness seemed too insignificant to describe how she felt. And anger was too bitter for her liking. But in a single instant as she stared at her closed door, her body melted and she fell to her knees. There she was able to finally breathe again. There she was able to finally blink again. And there she was able to finally feel again. And everything she felt was an agonizing ache that she knew would never heal.

_So long, my luckless romance  
My back is turned on you  
I should've known you'd bring me heartache  
Almost lovers always do…_

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

………… So………. I don't have much to say. It's kind of all there. Tell me what you think. Oh! And the next chapter is the last chapter. Surprise! I'm both thrilled and sad by that. Later


	25. Say Goodbye

**A/N:** Well… this is the last chapter – as in there will be no more for me to write when you finish reading this. I hope it doesn't disappoint. It's named after "Say Goodbye," by Skillet. So in order to not delay… Enjoy.

Disclaimer: For the final time… no.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

* * *

_Chapter 25 – Say Goodbye_

It had been five months since she stood up from being on her knees in front of the door to her house. In five months, she proceeded to live a normal life. She woke up everyday, showered, ate when necessary, wrote, had little visitors and slept. That was typically her life. It was only until a month ago that she realized something significant. Her brother had come to visit and she was ready to admit everything to the only family she had left.

"_What is it Rukia? What's so important that we had to sit down and formally talk? Wait. You aren't…" Byakuya began to question with wide eyes._

_She stared back like a confused puppy. "I'm not what?"_

_He leaned forward onto the table they sat at in one of the nicest restaurants in the city. "You know," he began again. "You haven't missed anything… __**extreme**__, have you?"_

_She continued to stare with a bewildered expression until suddenly, the light bulb switched on. "No!" She then let out a relieved laugh. "Oh god no. I'm not pregnant. Not at all." She laughed again, but this time a bit awkwardly seeing as her brother was the one questioning her._

_He sat back in his chair with the weight no longer on his chest. He exhaled slowly. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"_

"_Well," she started slowly. She took a deep breath. "I want to leave."_

_His eyebrows shot up. "I trust you aren't talking about the restaurant."_

_She gave a chuckle to ease the tension. "No." She took another deep breath. "I want to get out of this city. Actually, I want to get out of this country," she added with amusement. "Maybe see the world. But still write of course."_

_Byakuya stared at her as if trying to read her. He was always able to see how she was feeling and what her intentions were. That was one of his specialties in his field of work anyway._

"_You want to escape," he declared casually._

_Rukia's eyes widened in surprise and then she bowed her head with a slight smile. "I forgot who I was talking to for a second," she said with a soft chuckle as she stared at her lap. She looked back up at her brother with affectionate eyes. "I'm trapped, brother. I can't get away from something that isn't even here anymore. I've tried to live through it. But I can't."_

_He stared at her with a surprising smile coming to his lips. It wasn't a grin, but instead, a kind, understanding smile. "I know exactly what you mean."_

"_How?" she asked in confusion._

"_Even though Hisana was still with us, she couldn't hold me back," he swallowed slightly in secret, but Rukia saw the falter of his cold eyes. "I would visit her everyday when I was not working, but the days that I was called back allowed me to breathe again. I was always holding my breath. Breathing was always too painful," he explained with a strong jaw. He then pushed back into his chair. "So I was given an escape whenever I got called away."_

_Rukia frowned. Her brother-in-law was more family to her than anyone. He __**was**__ her brother. He was there for her. He understood her._

"_I can't believe __**you**__ even needed to get out of there," she admitted._

_He gave a single chuckle, which surprised her yet again. "I think you might think too highly of me, Rukia. I'm not as strong as you believe." _

_Rukia laughed. "But you're supposed to be. You're my older brother," she joked with a smile._

_He shrugged. "We all get trapped sooner or later."_

"_So you're okay with this?" she questioned with disbelief._

_He stared back at her trying to read her again. "You've made a home here, Rukia. Are __**you**__ okay with this?"_

_She stared down at her plate with a sad smile. "I'll miss them. I'll miss everyone I leave behind," she began to explain. She looked back up at him with determination. She had already made her decision. "But there isn't anything left for me here. I need to get out and find where I should be; where I can move on."_

_He nodded once and then stared silently. "I think you need to do whatever makes you happy."_

_She smiled at him. "Thank you."_

"_But I __**will**__ be visiting you wherever you may go," he said sternly._

"_Oh of course," Rukia said incredulously. She smirked as she watched him pick up his fork._

"_Now eat. Your food is getting cold," he ordered with the hint of a smile._

And since that night, she had planned out her escape route. She told her friends lightly, knowing it would cause mass hysteria. Tears came to most of her female friends' eyes and frowns were displayed on the men. Renji even looked like he was going to cry. Surprisingly, Uryuu gave her a sad smile and a nod as if he knew and understood. He never questioned her though. The annoying part was that Rangiku figured a party was the way to go out in style. Rukia couldn't complain. She still felt guilty about what she said to her about Gin five months ago.

The party was something she would deal with in order to leave. Especially after _he_ came back. It was a little after she decided to leave. A day or two perhaps. He seemed happier the one time she saw him on the street, but other than that - that was it. He stayed away from her. He realized how broken he had left her. He didn't deserve her and he had accepted that she wouldn't take him back. But he had to do it. If not for himself, for his mother.

_Ichigo had gone back to his hometown, Karakura, and located his old friend, Keigo, who currently was head of the police department. He needed answers and his friend was hesitant, but eventually gave in. He found where the murderer had resided._

_So he traveled the hour and a half to a monastery. Apparently he __**was**__ devoting himself to the Lord. It swayed his thinking for a moment, but the hatred quickly took its place again. He wouldn't give into this ploy._

_As he walked up the steps of the grand monastery, he knew exactly what he was going to do. He was going to deliver as much pain as he had caused for every victim's life he took. _

"_How may I help you, sir?" a monk asked with tranquility._

_Ichigo stumbled for words. He had to calm himself. "Um, I'm looking for someone," he began._

"_I can lead you to the courtyard where many are currently doing their daily chores. Would that be alright?"he asked with a kind smile._

"_Uh, sure. Thanks," Ichigo said with a slight smile in return._

_He followed closely and once he reached the courtyard, he scanned the individuals. Some were sweeping, some were praying or meditating. He didn't know the difference. All he knew was that his eyes landed on the one person he came for. He was sitting Indian style with his eyes closed._

_He began his slow walk towards this man that gave him so much misery. It was his entire fault. Everything went back to him. If it hadn't been for what he did, his life would be so perfect; so happy._

_Ichigo stood in front of him with his eyebrows furrowed, teeth clenched and jaw set. After a moment, the murderer's eyes opened._

_They were brown narrow eyes; the eyes of a killer. He stared up silently. He wasn't even surprised. _

"_You've been looking for me," he said calmly as he stared back into Ichigo's ambers._

_The orange headed man bent down on one knee to be at eye level. "Do you remember me?" he asked with a fierce voice._

_The brown eyes man stared back curiously as he absorbed his appearance. Then, he finally spoke. "I'm sorry. I don't." Silence filled the emptiness between them._

_Ichigo refused to remove his eyes from him. He slid the neck of his shirt down to reveal a scar on his chest. "You gave me this fourteen years ago," he said with his fierce voice but it was much softer. "The same night you killed my mother." _

_The older man took a deep breath and relaxed his position. "If you've come for revenge, then you can have it. I won't fight you," he replied. Ichigo continued to stare deep into his brown eyes. He believed him. He wouldn't fight back. This man had moved on with his life. He had accepted what he had done and was repenting for it. _

_Ichigo closed his eyes and bowed his head to the ground. His hands formed into fists. After a moment, he then stood up. The older man watched intently; slightly confused._

_Ichigo's eyes blazed in the sun. They were intense and powerful as he stared down at the murderer of his mother. "After everything you've done; after everything you took from me," he began with furrowed eyebrows. His face then smoothed out as he took a deep breath. "I forgive you."_

_There was no doubt that the man on the ground was surprised. His brown eyes widened and his mouth hung open slightly. He was left speechless. And just like that, Ichigo walked away. It was done. It was finally over._

He had taken a week or two off to stay with his family back in Karakura after that. He never told anyone what he had done except one. It was something he needed to do for himself and possibly for his mother. He knew she would never hold a grudge on anyone; not even her own murderer.

The one person he told was his mother. He visited her grave with a bouquet of sunflowers and told her everything. He knew she was probably smiling at him. It took him so long to come to terms with her death and what had happened. But it was finally over. He just wished he could share it with someone else.

There was no chance left for him. He had ruined it. One day after he returned back, he saw her walking out of the café. She looked broken, only it was as if she was hiding the pieces. He doubted anyone could see how hurt she was. And it was a fact that it was because of him. So he watched as she walked towards him across the street. He smiled weakly and let her go along her way. It was something he had to do. One day she'd be happy would be happier without him.

* * *

The party was blazing. She figured it would be once she took a step onto her wooden floor and heard the roar of a surprise. She was flattered, really; despite her complaints. It was just that it was her last night in her own home and she was content on reflecting back on her years in that comfy house. She smiled and enjoyed people's company, but at one point during the night she started to feel somewhat sick to her stomach. She excused herself from a conversation with Rangiku about sending her a postcard of a hot foreign man; Rangiku's request of course.

Rukia exited out of her house and walked down the few steps to where her driveway began. She breathed in the night air as she started to walk down the long and winding driveway away from the loud roar of the party. It wasn't really her scene anyway. Walking in the natural sounds of the night as the moon hung over head; that was her scene. She continued down the asphalt all the way to where the main road met up with her path. She could no longer see her house as it was now around the corner behind the trees.

The road was surprisingly desolate, but then her mind clicked. Anyone who would be passing by was most likely already parked on her front lawn anyway. She sighed and walked out into the middle of the road. Even if a car was coming she could hear it. She would get out of the way in time.

Her stomach still felt bothered. She now realized it wasn't anything medical, but in fact it was her mind trying to tell her to do something. And she finally understood when her eyes met the situation she faced in front of her.

She stood with her back to one side of the main road. What she was facing was her driveway to her right and the other half of the road to her left, which curved around the corner after about thirty feet. What was in front of her was a fork in the road.

The party was now completely out of ear shot and now the wind blew leisurely through her loose strands of hair around her face from her bun and her white skirt, which went a few inches above her knees, tossed and turned in the breeze. Her violet button down blouse was thin and the air gave her goose bumps.

She stared down her driveway. It was a path in which she knew the destination despite not being able to see it at that exact point in time. It was completely planned out; she knew where she was starting and where she would end. This kind of path was new to her.

Then, her eyes caught the sight of her other path. Her head then slowly turned towards its direction. It was the same road that she had been on for years; the same road she was standing on now. But after being on it for all these years, she still was just out of reach of that bend in the road. She's been in arms length since as long as she could remember, but it was still just out of her grasp. She stared down that road wondering what was around that mysterious bend, seeing as she had been waiting ever so patiently to find out just what it was.

A car came driving down her driveway. She stared at it calmly as it interrupted her thoughts. It then stopped as the window rolled down. "Yo Rukia! What are you doing out here? The party's that way," he said with a smirk.

Rukia smiled softly at him. "Thanks, Kaien," she said sarcastically with her arms crossed over her chest. "But I should be asking you the same thing. Where are you going? You're not one for skipping out on a party like that."

He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair as the other still gripped the steering wheel. "Yeah, I know. I don't have a choice though. Miyako is coming back from over seas in about a half hour. I'm picking her up at the airport."

Rukia smiled big this time, "Replacing me so soon?"

Kaien chuckled, "Ah, I could never replace you, my dear Rukia. I'd kidnap you if I could."

Rukia began to laugh, "And then you'd have my FBI agent of a brother after your ass."

Kaien smirked, "I like a challenge."

Rukia chuckled and shook her head. "I can't believe you're engaged."

"You had your chance, Kuchiki," he said with another smirk. He met a woman while he was representing a client of his back in Karakura. The client's daughter was the woman that had caught his attention. In three weeks time, he had explained how madly in love with her he was. He asked her to marry him before he came back five months ago.

The raven haired woman put on a fake expression of hurt. "Oh I know. I know," she said, then changing into a smile which reflected back at him. She then heard the stereo from his car and her smile fell as her heart began to listen.

'So I'll run to you. I will run, I will run… I will move right on through all these things that I have done…' The words floated through her ears. She felt her jaw begin to tremble and her fists tightened as her arms remained crossed over her chest.

"Rukia?" Kaien asked; his smirk faltering. He became concerned.

Rukia blinked out of her trance and swallowed. She put up her fake, reassuring smile. "I'm fine."

Kaien gave a slow nod. "You know, you don't have to go…" he said so casually.

Rukia was taken by surprise from his statement as her eyes widened. She then saw him staring back at her with seriousness and she gave him a soft smile.

"I know that, Kaien," she said in return. "But I need to."

He asked in a childlike, not understanding, soft tone, "Why?"

Rukia put on a soft smile as she walked slowly towards the car and stopped right next to his open window. "I need to move on," she said softly yet sincerely.

He stared into her eyes. The violets revealed for the first time in a long time the hurt she was really feeling; the pain that circulated through her heart and mind. Kaien broke the eye contact as he stared down at the speedometer in his car.

He took a deep breath and then sighed heavily. He finally heard the song on the radio. "Man, he really messed things up, huh?"

Rukia's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she looked down to the asphalt between her feet and the automobile. "No, I… I wouldn't say that," she said softly as she looked back up at the man who was now staring back at her.

"I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for my time with him. He was the one who pushed me to follow my dream of being a writer," she gave him a sad smile and then looked away towards that bending road. "He led me here."

"But you're leaving…" Kaien added quietly.

She stared at the bend for a few seconds and then turned back. She looked down for a second as a small smile was placed on her lips. She looked into his eyes then. "You can only be led so far. At some point or another, you have to take the lead."

He gave a sincere smile, "You've always been so strong. I could never figure out how someone could do it. You're one hell of a woman, Kuchiki. I'm gonna miss you."

Rukia gave a sad smile. Her heart sunk a little. She then placed her hands on the door where the window had been and leaned down and kissed his forehead gently. She leaned back a little but kept her face close to his. "Don't ever change, Kaien. You're an amazing guy."

All he did in return was smile sadly at her. Rukia began to turn away from the car as one hand remained on the door. She then stopped with her body half turned. She looked at the asphalt as she hesitated, but finally she spoke as he watched her movement carefully. "Take care of him," she said softly before turning to look into his eyes one last time. "Okay?" she asked with sadness.

He gave the smallest smirk and nodded. "I'll catch ya later, Kuchiki," he said with finality. All Rukia did was nod as she took a step backwards. She watched as he drove off around that bend. She took a deep breath and walked into the middle of the road once again; getting into her previous position.

She was ready to take that new road; that already predicted road. Her hand subconsciously rose from her side to her neck. Her fingers traced the necklace hanging delicately. She then looked down at the violet butterfly. The moon reflected on its shiny surface. Reaching behind her neck, she unclasped the fragile necklace. She brought it in front of her as she held the butterfly in her palm with the chain hanging over her hand between her thumb and index finger. Her eyebrows furrowed and she gripped the necklace firmly in her hand.

She looked up at the mysterious bend once again as she let her fist drop to her side. 'I'm done stretching for something I'll never reach,' she thought. She closed her eyes tightly as she let the necklace fall from her fist to the dark asphalt. Then, she opened her eyes again; this time, revealing acceptance.

She stared at the bend in the road not with anger, frustration or sadness; but instead with a feeling of remembrance. She took a deep breath and found herself smiling softly at the one thing she could not achieve. It had caused her to give up and for that, she would congratulate it. Then, silently, with one last hope and breath, she exhaled and began to walk towards her driveway before she heard someone coming around the corner. She stopped after only making it two steps onto her driveway and watched the motorcycle come around the bend.

Her chest felt heavy as her eyes watched every move he made as he parked across the road, kicking his kickstand open and ripping off his helmet quickly. He placed it on his bike and then turned to stare silently at her from across the road.

Rukia found herself at a loss for words. He stood in front of her with his leather jacket unzipped, revealing a red t-shirt underneath. He slowly placed his hands into his jeans' pockets.

"Hey," he said softly with his head tilted slightly to the side.

Rukia moved her arms so that they were hugging her waist. "Hey," she said just in the same manner.

"You _do_ realize that the party is that way," he said pointing behind her as if he could see the house.

Rukia raised an eyebrow and smirked. "What's up with you Kurosakis thinking I don't know my sense of direction?" she said more to herself, knowing the orange headed man would be confused.

He squinted for an explanation, but Rukia just shook her head. "Nevermind. Kaien just said the same thing, that's all."

"Ah," he said moving his head with his tone changing voice. "So," he said trying to lead back into it. "What are ya doing out here?"

She let a sigh escape her lips as her head turned back to the bend, "I was just thinking."

"Thinking? Must have been pretty important to make you leave your own goodbye party," he said not trying to pry. In fact, he never did. She realized that at that moment. Whenever something was bothering her, he never really had to ask what was wrong. He could say a single line like that and it would end up all tumbling out of her mouth as he let her lean on him. He was always her shoulder to cry on even though he never outwardly offered it.

She tore her eyes off that bending road that she no longer stood on and stared back at Ichigo. "Yeah. I guess so. But I'm done now."

He raised an eyebrow, "You sure about that?"

She squinted in frustration at him as if he had challenged her. "Yes. I'm completely sure about it," she said somewhat bitterly to show confidence.

He didn't look offended by her sudden bitterness or even surprised, for that matter. He just stared at her as if he could easily read her like a book. "You always could fool the world, but never me. I used to just watch how you went on from one person to the next with your fake cheerfulness; always hiding what was bothering you because you hated anyone thinking you were weak. But, ya know, whenever I got you alone, you always cracked."

Rukia began getting defensive. "So? What's your point?"

Ichigo just stared at her with no change in his emotion. "I don't think I ever told you… I always thought you were the strongest when you let it all out to me; when you stopped pretending."

_Things are changing  
It seems strange and  
I need to figure this out  
You've got your life  
I got mine  
But you're all I cared about_

Rukia's eyes went wide. She hadn't expected that and she felt herself getting weak at the knees. She broke eye contact and looked at the asphalt between them. "Goodbyes are just hard."

Ichigo gave a chuckle. "Hell yeah, they are. That's why I never did 'em," he smirked. Rukia glared, but couldn't help but laugh. It was too long ago; grudges were stupid now.

_Yesterday we were laughing  
Today I'm left here asking  
Where has all the time gone now  
I'm left alone somehow  
Growing up and getting older  
I don't want to believe it's over_

Ichigo then smiled softly at her. "But ya know hellos aren't much different."

She looked at him curiously; her arms still hugging her abdomen. "How so?"

"Well first of all, a 'hello' can cancel out a 'goodbye'. It takes something with just as much difficulty to cancel it out. And second, think about how we met. I called you a midget after I found out you were my age with that height and then you beat the shit out of me," he said with a chuckle.

_Don't say goodbye  
Cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight  
Cause maybe it's not the end for you and I  
And although we knew  
This time would come for me and you  
Don't say anything tonight  
If you're gonna say goodbye_

Rukia laughed. "And why would you want to be friends with a girl that beat you up?"

"Or a boy that made fun of your height?" he added in amusement.

"Good question," Rukia said with a smirk.

Ichigo then looked sincerely at her. "Because you stood up for me after some older kids pushed me down. They didn't like my '_bright'_ hair," he said with a smirk while he shook his head.

She gave a single chuckle, "They were just jealous."

"You said you liked my hair," Ichigo added sincerely causing Rukia to look at him with surprise.

Her face then relaxed. "I did," she agreed.

Ichigo frowned in wonder, "But I always wondered why you would help me after I made fun of you."

Rukia smiled at him. "I guess I just saw something in you."

_Do you remember  
In December  
How we swore we'd never change  
Even though you're leaving  
That our feelings  
Would always stay the same  
_

Ichigo smiled and the looked down at his feet for a second. He then looked back up. "So when are you planning on coming back?" he asked changing the subject to a more serious matter.

Rukia took in a deep breath. She looked up at the moon for a second, "Well if all goes to plan," she began and then looked back at him, "I won't be."

_I wish we could be laughing  
Instead I'm standing here asking  
Do we have to end this now  
Can we make it last somehow  
We both know what we've gotta say, not today  
Cause I don't wanna leave this way_

The orange headed man's face showed shock, but he quickly tried to hide it. "Oh," was all he could say. He looked down at the road between them and then after a few seconds, he looked back up.

"Senna wants to move in together. She, uh, went house hunting two days ago. She told me about this house she found that's right on the ocean. It's got a picket fence and everything," he said watching her reaction closely.

_Don't say goodbye  
Cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight  
Cause maybe it's not the end for you and I  
And although we knew  
This time would come for me and you  
Don't say anything tonight  
If you're gonna say goodbye_

She furrowed her eyebrows as she squeezed her stomach tighter. "Why are you telling me this?"

Ichigo just stared back at her; knowing he didn't need to explain; she already knew.

She sighed and looked away from him and then looked back. She put up a smile. "I'm happy for you, Ichigo. I really am. Senna… really loves you," she said slightly hesitantly.

He stared at her with disappointment. "Yeah," he said softly.

"I, um," Rukia began with regret. "I should probably get back inside," she said motioning her head in the direction of her house. She began to turn when Ichigo felt instinct kick in.

_And if it's over  
It hurts but I'm giving you my word  
I hope that you're always  
Happy like we were  
Happy like we were_

"Rukia," he said urgently as he made a few quick steps into the center of the road.

"Don't," she said with force. He froze where he was. She turned back around and stared at him. Her eyes were now saddened and he noticed tears were quite possible.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be," she said sternly, but simply.

Ichigo frowned and bowed his head for a moment. Then he looked back up into her violet eyes.

_Don't say goodbye  
Cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight  
Cause maybe it's not the end for you and I  
And although we knew  
This time would come for me and you  
Don't say anything tonight  
If you're gonna say goodbye_

Rukia was stunned to see such emotional ambers. She got shivers down her spine from the look in his eyes. Then he spoke. "Goodbye."

Rukia's chest felt as if it completely caved in. A tear managed to freely fall down her cheek. She swallowed and gave a sad smile. "Hello," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

He gave a sad smile in response as they stared into each other's eyes for another moment or two. They knew that once all eye contact was broken, it would be the end; they didn't want to let it break. But Rukia finally turned around and walked a few steps up the driveway.

_Yesterday we were laughing (if you're gonna say goodbye)  
Today I'm left here asking (if you're gonna say goodbye)  
And although we knew this time would come for me and you_

Ichigo watched her begin to leave him behind. He felt a part of himself fall deep into a huge body of water while a weight was tied to his ankle; not allowing him to swim up to the surface. His fist clenched tighter by the millisecond. He looked down to the ground as he struggled not knowing what to do.

_Don't say anything tonight  
If you're gonna say goodbye_

Rukia had stopped her steps. The wind had picked up at that moment and she watched as the tree branches swayed above her. She then looked down at her feet and saw the grass move in a wave towards her left as a leaf also blew by.

'I let her walk out of my life all those years ago. And then I walked away from her. If I let her go this time… I'll lose her forever,' he thought as his heart raced. Then, his eyes caught the reflection of something on the ground. He slowly bent down and picked it up. His heart fell even farther into his body by the mere sight of the violet butterfly; _her_ violet butterfly.

She then found her head turned into the direction of the mysterious bending road that was just in her view. She frowned as another tear traveled down her cheek. And then, she heard it; the sound of a car coming around the turn. Her head turned slightly and as she saw his crouching form in the middle of the road, her body reacted before her mind.

He had decided. 'I'm not letting her go this time. I can't,' he said gripping the necklace tightly. He looked up and opened his mouth, "Rukia!"

"Ichigo!" she yelled simultaneously with him. She was sprinting towards him as the car was now visible.

He looked at her in confusion and then the headlights were then seen from the corner of his eye. He stood up as fast as he could and once he did, he found she had already pushed him backwards out of the middle of the road.

The only thing he could process next was his ankle being hit by the passing truck as she went flying onto the hood of the truck before rolling off onto the asphalt. It never stopped.

He reached out for her before the back of his head finally smacked into the road. His vision went blurry before he could no longer see the moon lit night.

His eyes blinked open as he lay on the road motionless. He raised his hand slowly and felt the back of his head as he leaned up slowly. He brought his hand forward and saw the blood on his fingers. He saw his foot turned in an awkward position. He then looked over and saw Rukia lying on a stretcher on the ground.

He immediately began to crawl over, knowing it would be useless to attempt to stand. He grimaced at the pain, but continued as he gritted his teeth. His mind was set on one thing.

He finally reached her and saw her temple and lip bleeding. Her arm looked broken and eyes were shut. He felt tears begin to sting his eyes. "Rukia," he whispered with a shaky voice as he placed his hand against her cheek gently.

Her eyes slowly opened and he felt a bit more relieved. "Ich-igo," she pushed out of her mouth. He could tell the effort she had to use in order to speak.

His eyes were now completely filled with water. "Why did you have to push me out of the way?" he asked desperately, seeing her in a much worse condition.

She slowly moved her hand and placed it on his, which was on the ground next to her.

He continued to speak in a hysterical tone. "Why do you always have to protect me?" he begged.

Rukia's eyes began to water. She went to open her mouth, but he continued. "You're gonna be alright, Rukia. Just hang in there for me, okay?" he said, swallowing hard afterwards.

"Ichi-go," she said cutting in. He looked into her strong violet eyes; the only thing that didn't seem weak at that point in time. "What?"

"My… entire life has… been," she winced in pain causing Ichigo to wince as well. "A story," she finished. "Ea-ch word… contained… truth," she added breathing heavier. "But there," she took another breath, "was one fact… that's re-mained… unwrit-ten."

Ichigo frowned trying to understand. He moved his hand gently on her cheek to calm her and not to push her if there was no need.

Her violet eyes were completely locked with his amber ones. "I'll… al-ways… love you."

Ichigo felt tears fly down his cheek. He leaned over her and placed his lips gently on hers with his hand still holding her cheek. And as he felt her lips push against his, he no sooner felt them relax. He then knew it. He held his lips against hers for another second. He kept his eyes shut tightly as he leaned his head back slightly and rested his forehead against hers. It was then that he let himself sob. "Come on! Stay with me! Don't give up! Oh god, please don't give up!" And in the background, he finally heard the muffled sound of the ambulance as the paramedics made their way towards them.

* * *

"Daddy! What are you doing?! You promised a piggyback ride!" the pouting little girl with bright orange hair said in an angry yet disappointed tone.

"I did, didn't I?" he said with an apologetic look. "Well then I guess we've got to do something about that, huh?" he said with an evil grin.

The little girl looked at him curiously as he moved swiftly and grabbed her waist causing the little girl to scream. He then moved her rapidly through the air in all directions as she continued to scream. He smirked and after a few good seconds he placed her swiftly over his head and onto his back.

He began to walk across the grass as he looked back at her over his shoulder and saw her stunned face. She then smiled from ear to ear. "Again! Again!" He laughed and began to shift her off his back for round two before an authoritive voice interrupted.

"If you move one more inch in an attempt to repeat that action, Ichigo Kurosaki, I will make sure you pay for any out of place hair on her beautiful head," a raven headed woman said with a smirk as she sat in a chair looking out at the tide.

He raised both eyebrows in fear and then looked back at his little girl. "I guess we'll do it later," he whispered as he let her down to the ground.

"I heard that," the authoritive figure said with a smirk as she watched a little boy with raven hair chase the tide and then run as it chased him back. The little girl began to join him.

The little boy stopped and saw his father arrive. "Hi daddy!" he yelled waving. The man waved back with a grin as he walked over to the woman in her chair. The boy went back to playing his game of tag with nature.

"Hey there," he said suavely looking into her violet eyes as he leaned down and captured her lips.

"Hey there, yourself," she said after their lips parted. There was a smirk on her face. They both then looked over at their children playing in the water. Then, he turned and smirked mischievously as her.

She raised an eyebrow. "What on earth are you thinking?" she said with a bit of fear.

"Oh nothing," he said with a convincing face. She squinted at him suspiciously and then he quickly reached down and picked her up out of the chair.

She began to scream and squirm but he continued to laugh as he made his way quickly towards his children in the water.

She swung her fists causing him to dodge expertly, otherwise he would have already been knocked out. "Damn, Rukia! Watch it!" he yelled with a grin remaining on his face.

Finally, he made it into the water deep enough so that he could drop her in. He began to laugh very hard when she popped back up out of the water with her mouth wide open from disbelief.

The little boy giggled at his mother's reaction while the little girl stood with her mouth wide open like her mother's. "Mommy?" she asked hesitantly.

"Kids…" she began with her eyes boring holes into her laughing husband. "I need your help in drowning your father!" she yelled with a smirk as she dove onto a completely shocked orange headed man. The two children cheered and made their way into the water to help the mother achieve revenge.

"Ichigo."

He jumped up from his slumber and looked around the room frantically. He was where he fell asleep; in a chair in the hospital waiting room.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed. Rangiku was a mess and Kaien was trying to pull her away, but she refused to be moved. She was on her knees in front of him as she held his hands in hers. "I told him not to drive. I told him to give me the keys, but he just told me to shut up and get in the car." Her crying took over as Ichigo stared emotionless at her.

"What do you mean?" he whispered.

"I yelled for him to hit the breaks," she forced out as tears flooded down. "I yelled and screamed!" she said louder as she tried to make him believe her.

His mouth fell open as he tried to process the information. She gripped his shirt to grab his attention. "I'm so sorry!" she cried incredibly.

"Come on, Ran. Let's give Ichigo some space," Kaien said with tear filled eyes. He pulled her up and away from him as she continued to scream. "I'm so sorry! Forgive me!"

He sat emotionless in the hospital chair. The pain from the stitches on the back of his head or his sprained ankle was nothing to him. Hours passed without him realizing. A coffee sat on the table in front of him yet he had no intention of drinking it. He was running on his natural caffeine; fear and shock.

His family and friends made attempts to talk to him, but he pushed them all away. He never searched for comfort from anyone; only her. But she couldn't be there for him right then and that thought was burning him to the core.

"Ichigo," Orihime said softly as she took one of the many empty seats around him. He ignored her at first; well, to put it correctly, he was deaf to her. Every sound she made was unrecognizable to him until she placed her hand gently on his forearm located on the armrest. He looked up unenthusiastically.

"I…" she hesitated after seeing his empty orbs stare back into her. "I know you want to be alone," she began. "But… I think there's something you should have."

He looked at her; his face unfaltering. He stared, waiting for an explanation.

She pulled the large manila envelop from her side and held it out to him. "She finished it and gave it to me yesterday. Probably as a personal gift before she left. I finished it this morning. Stayed up all night trying to finish it in the waiting room down the hall," she explained with a saddened tone. "I… think it's important you have this," she said with her voice quivering. A few tear drops slid down her cheeks. She kept her eyes staring directly into his, which surprised him how strong she was trying to be regardless of her obvious emotions.

The envelope was still being held out to him and he finally gripped it in his hand and took it out of her grasp. She gave a sad smile, wiped her eyes, and then quickly threw her arms around his neck.

His eyes grew wide as they blinked from her sudden impact. He did not embrace her back though. And after a few seconds, she pulled away and made her way quickly down the hall back to her many friends and boyfriend.

He didn't say one word during that conversation. His eyes spoke the most. But as they stared down at the envelope he had placed on his lap, he wondered if he should bother; if he should just wait for Rukia to tell him what Orihime thinks is so important. But who was he kidding? His hope was high, but his 'what if' train of thought was always higher.

He slowly undid the metal clasp and reached inside. He pulled out a stack of papers; an already edited story that had yet been sent to be made into an actual book. He read the large bold letters on the front page.

_A Love That Never Dies_

_Written by and based on the life of Rukia Kuchiki_

And with that, he turned the page.

* * *

_**Thirteen Years Later…**_

He looked out at the tide moving up and down the shore. The ocean air filled his lungs as he breathed in as much as he could. His hands rested in his dress pants' pockets and the wind blew through his curly locks. He had almost completed his yearly ritual. He had stayed up all through the night reading the now award winning novel that he held under his arm at the moment. He had just finished it and was about to perform his next ritual.

"Uncle Ichi!" a little girl with dark raven hair yelled as she ran along the white fence up to his side. Her smile was huge as she approached the standing man.

"_I want you to remember me like I am right now." _Her voice echoed in his mind as her image took over his senses. 'Those beautiful violet eyes…'

He continued to stare out at the water; the sea's foam growing more than usual at the moment. "Uncle… Ichi?" she asked hesitantly.

He then turned his head at her slowly and smiled. "Hey there," he said before turning to look back at the water; his smile falling.

She saw his eyes in that short moment. She was too young to really know much about life, but just by a simple stare into his ambers, they looked very aged and haggard; more so than her own parents' eyes. Her little violet dress was flowing in the wind.

"Mommy told me to come and get you. She said we're going to visit Aunt Rukia. Daddy's waiting in the car."

He took a peak at his watch. 'Orihime and Uryuu are always so early,' he thought to himself.

She looked at his unchanged face curiously. Her eyes grew sadder. "Uncle Ichi… are you okay?" she asked softly with sad eyes.

A small smile grew before he turned to look at her. "I'm fine. Just enjoying the sight of the ocean," he said turning his head to look back at it.

The little girl then turned to face the water as well and watched the tide move up and down the shore. "It's pretty," she said with an enthusiastic smile.

He smiled even bigger at her and stared down at her captivated face. "I figured you'd say that."

"Uncle Ichi?" she began; not knowing how to continue. "Do you… ever get lonely?" she asked so softly and so innocently that his mouth fell ajar and he had no idea how to reply at first.

He then put on a smile. "How could I ever get lonely? I have you always coming to keep me company," he said tossing her hair slightly before his hand fell to his side.

She giggled at his action, but then it fell silent again. She then spoke. "But every year on this day you always get so sad. I thought you'd be happy to see Aunt Rukia."

Ichigo's heart sunk into his stomach and he felt his jaw begin to tremble. He couldn't look at the little girl at that moment. He bit down hard and took a deep swallow. "It's… not like that," he said trying to regain his demeanor. He looked back down into her caring violet eyes. He stared for a moment. 'How is it possible that she looks so much like her?'

He then spoke. "I just…" he cleared his throat. "I just miss her very much," he ended with a sad smile.

"You'll see her again!" she yelled with confidence. "I asked Mommy one night before she tucked me in if I could ever meet her," she said somewhat embarrassed. But her perkiness came back immediately. "And she said if I tried _really_ hard, I could see her when I closed my eyes! And then one day when I'm older, I'll be able to stay with her and Mommy and Daddy and you forever!"

Ichigo felt his heart fill with love for this little girl in front of him. He continued to nod as his eyes filled with tears ready to fall. "That's right," he said still nodding. "That's right." He turned his head back to the water as a tear fell down his cheek.

She then reached up and grabbed his hand. He looked down at her as certainty was revealed in her eyes. "She's waiting for us, Uncle Ichi," she said so innocently.

He couldn't help but smile at her. He gave a nod and then began to walk away from the sea with her still holding his hand.

"Hey," he began causing her to look up. "What do you say we get some ice cream afterwards?" he said with a sincere smile on his face.

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened wide. "Really?!" she yelled in excitement. He chuckled. "Really," he reassured.

She then let go of his hand and ran ahead into his house. "Mommy! Daddy! Uncle Ichi said we could get ice cream!" she yelled disappearing through the backdoor.

He chuckled and then stopped walking. He felt the wind blow through his hair and engulf every one of his senses. He closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. He turned his body slightly back towards the sea.

"Uncle Ichi! Are you coming?!" the little girl yelled from the door.

He turned back at her with a smile. "Yeah, I'm coming, Rukia," he said with a smile to the little girl. The little girl giggled and ran back into the house.

Ichigo turned his head back to the stretching ocean. "I'm coming," he whispered into the wind before turning and walking towards the door.

_**Fin**_

* * *

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wow. I can't believe I finished it. I am kind of wondering how many people hate me for the ending. Well. Please don't attack me. Hah… I can't end every one of my angst stories happily. Well that's it. No epilogue – there isn't anything left to say about it. And obviously there won't be a sequel. I hope you enjoyed it though. All the crazy ups and downs. Anyways… let me hear your screaming thoughts. Thank you for sticking by me for so long. So until the next story… Later


End file.
